The Ninth Month
by ATTHS
Summary: It's time! Mulder and Scully are anticipating the arrival of their new baby.
1. Two Weeks To Go

_October 16th- mid afternoon_

Scully was lying on the couch reading, when the front door burst open. Mulder stepped in with two large brown bags. He looked over at her and froze. She raised an eyebrow at him, and he smiled at her.

He kept walking and said nothing to her. He went past her to the office and came back empty handed. She reached out a hand to stop him as he started to go past her again.

"Mulder," she said, her hand hitting his knee.

"Scully," he replied, sidestepping her hand.

She laughed quietly and he looked at her and winked as he went back outside and closed the door. She rolled her eyes and smiled. She could hear him moving around on the porch, but she stayed on the couch.

They had been in for another checkup yesterday afternoon, on the fifteenth. Everything was good and still on schedule. They had already been expecting a mid to late October due date. Elise, Doctor Reynolds, had jokingly brought up the possibility of the baby coming on Halloween. Scully had seen Mulder's eyes light up.

He had held out hope the baby would possibly arrive on his birthday, but it had come and gone three days ago. He had himself joked about a Halloween baby, but was sure it would not happen. Hearing the doctor's words had reignited that spark within him.

He had excitedly made plans as they walked out of the building. She smiled, reminding him again that babies come when they are ready. He scoffed and accused her of raining on his parade. She laughed and shook her head.

He had gotten up early and been gone most of the day, claiming he had stuff to do. She had not asked what the "stuff" entailed, but she had a sneaking suspicion. For Mulder, Halloween was like Christmas. A baby born on that date, good god, he would be ecstatic.

She put her book down and rubbed her belly.

"Listen little one," she whispered, running her hands up and down. "Try to hold on a couple more weeks for your daddy. I'll do my part and you do what you can in there, okay? Go Team Spooky!"

She patted her stomach in a faux high five and laughed at herself. She looked over at the picture Mulder had found of them from years ago. Team Spooky indeed.

She closed her eyes and listened to Mulder's steps on the porch. Back and forth, up and down the stairs. She heard him swear and she chuckled.

Finally, her curiosity got the better of her and she hauled herself off the couch. She put her hands on her waist, rubbing her lower back. God, it hurt today. Not wanting to rush the baby, but she looked forward to not having this extra weight on her. Also being able to sleep on her stomach. Not peeing constantly…

She sighed as she walked toward the front door and opened it. Mulder was standing on a stepstool placing ghosts and witches on hooks he was hanging up.

There were what looked to be about ten pumpkins of different sizes on the stairs. There was a bale of hay. Hay. God knows where he picked that up. Also, a scarecrow on a stake and a life sized witch holding a handle that went into a cauldron.

"So.. this "stuff" you needed to do," she said looking around, her hands on her back again. "It was buying all this junk?"

""Junk"?" he asked, looking at her as he hung the last ghost. "I'll have you know, this stuff was not cheap."

"You have a bale of hay, Mulder," she said looking at it. She touched it and it was real hay, not a decoration. "There's a bale of hay on our porch."

"I had to go to three pumpkin farms before I found it," he said proudly, pointing at her as he stepped off the step stool and walked over to her.

"Mulder, it's a bale of hay," she said staring at him.

"I know," he nodded. He had a pleased smile on his face.

She looked at him questioningly. "What are you planning to do with a bale of hay?"

"Well, the possibilities are endless," he said shaking his head. "I mean, it could just sit there. I could put the scarecrow through it. I could break it up and spread it around.."

He fell silent at her look. She blinked her eyes at him, crossing her arms.

"I could leave it on the porch as is," he said quietly.

"There you go," she nodded.

He stared at her and then turned back to grab the step stool, closing it up.

"Mulder," she began.

"Scully, I know what you're going to say," he said turning toward her. "You're going to say that I'm going out of my way to decorate for a baby who will have no idea nor care that I did it. You will say that not until she is much older, will she have a memory of decorating for holidays."

She raised her eyebrows and opened her mouth to answer him.

"To which, I will say that it's the gesture that matters, Scully. As for memory, how do we know for absolute certainty what a person remembers and when? How are we to know that somewhere in her subconscious will lie the memory of pumpkins and witches and she won't be able to explain how she knows it, she just does?" he said as he put the stool against the house and picked up the scarecrow.

She took a breath and opened her mouth again, putting her hands on her hips.

"To which I know you will say, "But Mulder, a baby at that age does not have the ability to "remember" something and call it up as we do." To which I would say, again how can we be absolutely sure?" he stuck the scarecrow in the hay bale and smiled.

She took a breath again, crossed her arms and almost got a word out before he spoke again.

"To which I know you will scoff and roll your eyes at me. To which I will say to you that I really shouldn't have to go through a big long winded monologue about how I want to decorate for the holiday because a baby born on Halloween should be a thing to celebrate," he stood in front of her, his tall frame encroaching into her space.

She stared at him and uncrossed her arms. She shook her head and smiled, slowly wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Bat crap crazy," she whispered before she stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him.

He laughed into her mouth as he kissed her back. He stepped from her and smiled as he looked at the witches and ghosts hanging from the porch beams.

She watched him stare at the decorations and she sighed.

"Mulder, if the baby isn't born on Halloween, how upset would you be?" she asked him.

He turned and looked at her. "I'm not going to lie to you, Scully. I would be crushed. It would completely devastate me."

She stared at him, searching his face. He looked back at her, serious and unwavering.

Then he smiled and she smacked his arm.

"Shit," she said, as he laughed.

"Scully," he said, laughing. "I know it would be amazing to have a baby with a Halloween birthday, especially for us, I mean come on. How much spookier could I get than having a child born on Halloween?"

She laughed and nodded.

"But, if it's not Halloween, it's close Scully," he continued. "I'll just spend her life telling her how she almost made me the happiest person ever, but fell short before she was ever even here."

She huffed at him, smiling as she pushed at his chest.

He caught her hands and smiled. "Close enough is good enough for me, Scully. We're fifteen days away. We'll just have to do what we can to hold on until then."

"Keep my legs closed real tight. Got it," she said, winking and placing her hands against his chest.

"Well I didn't say **that** ," he said, running his hands down her arms.

"Mulder, you know that sex has been known to induce labor," she said, trying to pull her hands away. "That sperm contains prostaglandins, which can help to ripen the cervix and can help labor begin. That women also release that same hormone-like substance so it's like a double dose. And since synthetic forms are used to induce labor, it would make sense that it would happen naturally with sex."

"Oh, Scully," he breathed. "Say prostaglandins again."

She laughed and he pulled her closer. She looped her arms around his neck again and kissed him.

"Oxytocin is released during sex as well," she whispered, her mouth at his ear. "Pitocin is a synthetic form of that and it is **also** used to stimulate labor by causing uterine contractions."

He groaned and dug his fingers into her hips. She smiled and bit his ear lobe. He groaned again, breathing hard.

"Orgasms also create uterine contractions," she whispered again, scraping her nails across his neck. "All those factors could lead to cervix ripening, and the baby needing to be pushed out of my vagina."

"Okay, you ruined it," he said pulling back and stepping away. He put his hands up and she laughed at his face of disgust. He shook his head.

"You know my feelings on that word," he said with a shiver. "How you ruined it years ago."

"Mulder, please don't tell me again, I can't.."

"Here are the facts," he shouted over her. " **You** suggested we attempt phone sex when you were out of town for work.."

"Twelve years ago," she added.

" **You** said it would be interesting and I was intrigued and definitely **up** for it," he said, raising his eyebrows as he began pacing the porch. She rolled her eyes and hung her head back. "We started and it was hot and I was enjoying the things we were saying. I could hear you taking off your clothes and that got me very aroused. And then.. you said it."

He stopped pacing and stared at her, shaking his head.

She smiled and tried not to laugh. It bubbled up and she laughed while he shook his head.

"Mulder, we'd never done that before, never needed to do it and I don't know, I was nervous!" she said, raising her arms.

""Mulder, I wish you were here. Your hands on my body. Touching my breasts, my vagina."" Your vagina, Scully," he said, exhaling and shaking his head.

"That's what it's called!" she said exasperated, her eyes wide.

"Have you ever said that to me before or after that night? Ever asked me to "touch your vagina"? he asked, crossing his arms.

"Oh, would you have preferred the word **you** once used? Would you have wanted me to ask you to touch my "kitty"? Mulder, "kitty"?" she said with a disgusted look on her face.

He shrugged his shoulders, opening his arms, palms up.

"You ruined **that** word for me. We can never have a cat, because no chance would I stand on this porch and yell "here kitty, kitty" and not think about you calling my vagina a "kitty." A "kitty," Mulder. You don't see a problem with using that word?" she asked him, eyebrows up.

"I don't know," he said, licking his lips and looking her up and down. "I'd say it's pretty accurate considering I've made it purr quite a few times."

She leaned back from him and her mouth dropped open. His eyes were shining and the grin spreading across his face, was the "I won" grin that she hated and loved all at the same time.

"Oh, my god," she said shaking her head and then she started laughing. He joined in and they laughed as they stared at each other.

"We'll call a draw," she said, still laughing. "Neither word will be used, nor will this story ever be told again."

She stuck her hand out and he shook it. She nodded and turned back toward the house. She turned around as he started to rearrange the scarecrow in the hay.

"Oh, Mulder," she said, making sure he looked at her before continuing. "You've made it purr **way** more than a few times. For longer than you even know and times in which you weren't even present."

She winked at him and it was his turn to stand open mouthed. She walked inside and heard him mutter "Jesus Christ" as the door shut. She laughed silently.

She rubbed her belly and whispered to the baby. "Mommy won that round. You'll find that will be the case most of the time."

She laughed again and headed to the couch. She sat down and picked up her book. She could still hear him muttering as he walked back and forth across the porch.

"Fifteen days, baby," she whispered again. "We got this."

*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*

 _October 20th- evening_

" _HeHeHe"_

"God!"

"Mulder, just unplug it," Scully said, for at least the tenth time.

It turned out the witch Mulder had purchased had a motion sensor on it. Every time he passed by it, he got scared and he jumped. She rolled her eyes and laughed at him.

"No, Scully. I don't want to unplug it. Part of the fun of Halloween is being scared. And it doesn't scare me **that** badly," he said shrugging his shoulders.

Scully sat in the porch swing, rocking it slowly. She shook her head as he handed her the cup of tea she had asked him to make for her.

He sat next to her and the swing rocked a little faster. They sat in silence as she drank her tea and took a deep breath.

It had been four days since he put all the decorations up and every time he walked past the witch on the porch, he got scared. He was forced to walk past it more because Scully had spent a lot of time in the porch swing. She had been reading, relaxing, and sometimes napping. If she was outside, so was he, hence the constant frightfest for him.

The weather was starting to cool down and she could smell fall in the air. She closed her eyes and felt Mulder's hand on her stomach. She smiled as he rubbed his hand up and down. She leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed.

"How's she doing? Moving a lot?" he asked her.

"Hmm, yeah," she said. She put her hand on his and moved it down. The baby pushed as she did and she gasped as Mulder chuckled.

"Christ that was a hard one," she said, breathing out.

He moved his hand and pushed the swing a little. They sat in silence again.

Mulder had strung up some white lights on the porch. They were around the posts and on the ceiling of the porch. He had surprised her with the lights and the ability to do it on his own. He acted shocked at her reaction, but later told her he had only almost stapled his hand a couple of times.

She opened her eyes and looked at the lights and she smiled.

"These lights are so nice. I like them. Thank you for putting them up," she said.

"Hmm," he answered. "Eleven days, Scully. You think we'll make it?"

" _We_?" she asked, lifting her head from his shoulder and looking at him. "Pretty sure you're not the one pushing a baby out of your.."

"Aaa!" he said, putting up his hand. "No."

She put her head on his shoulder again and the swing began to rock.

"I'm doing all I can. We're doing our best," she said.

He lifted his arm and put it around her shoulder. He kissed her head and rested his head on hers.

"It's all I ask," he said quietly.


	2. One Week To Go

_October 22nd- late afternoon_

"So, you're sure that two centimeters dilated is okay? That the baby won't fall out or.. I don't know, that it's okay?" Mulder asked as they were driving home from the most recent checkup.

She laughed and looked at him. "Fall out? You've spent a fair amount of time around that area of my body, in different aspects, with different views. Are you implying that I have a.. wide open situation going on down there?"

"Jesus Christ! No! I..that.. what? How did you get **that** from what I asked?" he asked incredulously.

She laughed and touched his thigh. He jumped and she laughed harder. She moved her hand and folded them across her stomach.

"Mulder, do you know how big two centimeters actually is?" she took out her phone, found a photo depicting the size of centimeters in reference to food, and showed to him.

"See that? The size of a cherry, roughly. It needs to get to about the size of a bagel. So you still think a baby will "fall out" of my body?" she asked, laughing again.

"Okay! A man can't even ask a question these days. Geez.." he said, looking at her and rolling his eyes as she laughed again.

He pulled into a fast food place and into the drive thru. He ordered a cheeseburger for each of them, fries, iced teas, and a vanilla cone for her.

She had been careful with her diet during the pregnancy, and now that it was at the end, after every recent doctor's appointment, they had gone out for greasy delicious food. Once a week was not bad and she looked forward to it every time.

He handed her all the bags of food, put the drinks in the cup holders, and then gave her her ice cream. She ate it as they headed home. Mulder turned a different way and went up a road they had not been on in awhile. She smiled, knowing where he was headed.

When they had first moved into the house, he did not venture to far from home. They did not know who was watching them, if anyone, but they tried not to do anything to draw attention to themselves.

One treat they did allow for, was going out at night, and sitting in the car or on a blanket, looking at the stars and the lights of the city.

The hill was not far from the house, creating a feeling of safety, but also a sense of getting out and being "normal." A night out under the stars.

Sitting and looking at the stars had almost always led to making out and then to sex. No one was around and they would throw caution to the wind, naked and free, their love all they had to sustain them. It was **their** spot.

Mulder parked the car and got out. He pulled the back of the car up and open. Then he brought the food back. She got out and joined him, sitting on the back of the car, looking at the city.

They ate their meal as they looked around. The city seemed so calm up here. No worries, as the wind blew and the breeze sounded through the trees.

"Remember the last time we were up here?" he asked, shoving fries in his mouth.

She nodded and smiled. They had been lying on a blanket and he was telling her a story about something or other. She was feeling super horny and wanted him to shut up. She straddled him and took off her shirt. She had not been wearing a bra and he had groaned underneath her as his hands cupped her breasts.

They had kissed and discarded all their clothes, before she sunk down on him and rode him to her climax, the warm sun beating down on her. He had flipped them over and she ended up on all fours as he took her from behind. She bent down low onto her elbows, her face on the blanket, as he cried out her name, quickly reaching his own climax and triggering another release from her.

"You're a mean man bringing up **that** memory," she said, feeling her body perk up as she looked at the spot where they been years ago.

"I was referring to the weather and the conversation. Not sure what you're referring to, Scully," he said, with a side glance at her.

She looked at him and narrowed her eyes.

"If you want to make it nine more days, I suggest you don't bring up memories of our sexual activities or I will be needing you to "scratch my itch" so to speak," she informed him as she stood up and stretched.

He laughed and stood up too. He put all their trash in the bag and closed the back of the car down.

She saw him look over at the spot and knew where his mind went. Further proof he had drifted off there, presented itself when he leered at her and then pushed her against the car, his tongue seeking entrance into her mouth.

They made out like horny handsy teenagers, his hands in her hair, hers roaming over his back.

He pulled back and stared at her. He kissed her once more then walked back and got in the car. She stayed there for a minute, her body humming with desire. She calmed down and got in the car.

He sat there with a satisfied grin on his face. She squeezed his thigh and he yelped. He looked at her and she held his gaze.

"You do that to me again, and I will schedule a c-section ASAP. Halloween date be damned," she said in a low voice.

"You wouldn't dare," he breathed, holding her wrist. She moved her hand higher and rested her hand on his crotch.

"You sure about that?" she purred as she squeezed lightly.

His breath came out in pants. His eyes dilated and she felt him start to harden. She pulled her hand away and sat back, brushing her hair behind her ear. She blinked her eyes at him and he huffed out a breath.

"Now we're even," she whispered, blowing a kiss at him.

"Mean. That's what you are. Mean," he said as he started the car.

"Six weeks, right?" he asked as they got back on the road.

She looked at him, confused.

"After the baby's born, it's six weeks before you're cleared for sex again? Right?" he asked, after he glanced at her.

"Or a bit longer. It depends," she said with a smile growing.

"I'd like to add that to our repertoire," he told her.

"What? Me squeezing your balls? I've done that before. Many times," she said, licking her lips.

They pulled up into the driveway and he parked the car. He looked over at her and she raised her eyebrows, waiting for him to continue.

"Bossy and demanding. I do so enjoy that color on you," he said, as if she did not know. She grabbed his shirt and pulled his head toward her.

"Six weeks, give or take. I'll put that color back on, along with that pink and black thing you like. It will be very colorful indeed," she whispered in his ear, biting his lobe.

She pushed him back and he groaned. She got out of the car, but he stayed in, his eyes closed, shaking his head. She walked up to the door and looked back at him. He was watching her through the windshield. He mouthed "mean" at her and she laughed.

She stepped inside and took off her shoes. She took off her coat and hung it up, then sat down on the couch. She put her feet on the coffee table and closed her eyes.

 _HeHeHe!_

"GOD!" he shouted through his teeth as he opened the door.

She laughed so hard, it shook her whole body. He plopped down next to her and gave a great sound of disgust.

"Well, I'm gonna have to keep that witch up for awhile. Getting scared is a great boner killer," he said, as he tossed his jacket across the room on a chair.

She laughed even harder and he eventually joined her.

"The countdown clock starts now," he grumbled and she laughed again, leaning her head against his shoulder.

*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*

 _October 29th- late afternoon_

"So, you're still two centimeters dilated and it's been a week," Doctor Reynolds said, tossing her gloves in the trash.

She helped Scully out of the stirrups and then helped her sit up. Scully straightened her gown as the doctor went back to the computer and began typing. Mulder had left the room during the exam, so it was just the two of them.

"Dana, you're right at the cusp of the baby being late and I don't want that to happen. The baby needs to come in the next couple days. I know you don't want it, but I'm going to schedule a c-section. You are a high risk pregnancy, as you well know. Everything has been good, and I want it to continue that way. I know how much you, well Fox mostly, are hoping for a Halloween date," the doctor said, crossing her arms.

"I'm not so concerned with the Halloween date for the date itself. I simply don't want you going past it as it puts you at risk. I won't do that to you, first and foremost, and definitely not to the baby," she continued, watching Scully.

Scully took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She nodded her head and opened her eyes. She looked at the doctor and nodded again.

"I really don't want the c-section. Not unless it's absolutely necessary," she said.

Doctor Reynolds nodded. She uncrossed her arms, putting them behind her on the counter, and took a deep breath.

"I'm going to schedule a c-section for the 31st at ten am. Today is the 29th. It's late afternoon, but that gives you a window of almost two days. Almost. As a doctor, I know I don't need to tell you the best ways to try and induce labor. Naturally, I mean," she said with a smile.

"Mulder will be so pleased when he hears," Scully said with a smile and then laughed.

"Just as long as you're pleased as well," Doctor Reynolds said with a wink.

"Oh, I will be sure that happens," Scully laughed.

The door opened and they both looked up as Mulder walked in the room. The women looked at one another and started laughing. Mulder looked between them and shrugged his shoulders.

The doctor left the room and Scully changed out of her gown. Mulder helped her with her coat. She pulled her hair out of her collar and looked at him.

"Prostaglandins, Mulder, I'm gonna need some from you. And oxytocin. Also, multiple orgasms. Think you can handle it? We're on a deadline," she said matter of factly, watching his face.

He took a deep breath through his nose and she saw him clench his jaw. Mm. That always made her hot.

"Let's get the fuck out of here," he growled and pushed her out the door. She laughed as they walked down the hall.

At the car, he pushed her into it like he did a few days ago and kissed her. He held her face as his tongue stroked hers and he made her knees weak.

"Home. Now," she breathed, pushing him away from her.

The whole way home, she had to fight to keep her hands off of him. She knew he would crash the car if she put her hands on him. God, it was like she gone without sex for years, when it had been three weeks at most. Even after all this time, all these years, he was like a drug she could not quit. She **needed** him.

They made it home in record time and he pulled the car in haphazardly. It was barely in park before he was out the door and running up the stairs, taking off his coat and shirt as he did.

She watched him from inside the car and she giggled. His antics made it possible for her to calm down enough to get out of the car and start moving toward the house. She made it as far as the steps before the front door burst open and he stood there in shock.

She laughed at the expression on his face and kept walking up the stairs. He had kicked off his shoes and his jeans were unbuttoned. She stood in the doorway and smiled at him.

"Forget something?" she asked cheekily.

He laughed and pulled her inside, shutting and locking the door. She turned toward him and he took off her coat. She grabbed his belt loops and pulled him toward the couch. She unzipped his pants and pushed them down. She pushed his boxers down too, then pushed him onto the couch. His pants and boxers were as far as his thighs, but it was enough.

"I need you. Hard and fast," she said taking off her shoes, stretchy pants, and panties.

She climbed onto his lap. She reached behind her and stroked him twice. God, he was so hard. She lifted up and then slid down onto him, both of them groaning as she did.

She rested against him for a second, then began to lift up and then down. She held onto his shoulders and went faster.

"Harder," she panted, gripping his shoulders.

"Honey, you're the one in charge here. You want it harder, do it," he laughed and moaned as she did what he suggested.

She let go of his shoulders and grabbed the back of the couch. Her fully clothed breasts were in his face and he gave a muffled laugh as she pushed into him. He put his hands on her hips and helped guide her movements, pulling her hard onto him.

"God, I'm so fucking close. Mulderrrr.." she cried out, arching up and then back down.

She felt her orgasm fast approaching and worried he was not as close. Then she felt his fingers dig into her hips. She knew that touch. He was close too.

A couple more thrusts and she cried out, falling hard against him. He called her name and she felt him come. She rocked slowly on him and then went still. She was breathing hard and her heart was pounding.

He said her name again. She moved her hands back to his shoulders, sitting back, and pulling her breasts away from his face. His face was red and sweaty.

"Christ, I thought I was going to be suffocated by your huge tits," he said shaking his head.

She laughed running her nails down his chest before she leaned her forehead against his.

"Well, Clyde did say you would go out by autoerotic asphyxiation," she said. "Could you think of a better way to go than just having orgasmed, smothered by a pair of giant pregnancy tits?"

"No. In fact, sign me up for that," he laughed and ran his hands across her back. She raised her head and looked at him, smiling.

"Thank you, Mulder. That was just what I needed, on so many levels."

"You and me both, babe," he said, pushing her head down for a few sweet kisses.

She pulled back and carefully climbed off of him, before falling back onto the couch beside him. He unsteadily stood up, pulling up his boxers and kicking off his pants. He then reached his hands out and helped her to stand.

She stood there for a second, looking at the various stages of undress they were in, before she quietly laughed.

"Topless and bottomless. We're like a really bad crime fighting duo," she giggled and he laughed with her.

"Okay," she said, heading for the stairs. "It's time to move this thing along in earnest. I'm going to take a bath now."

She stopped at the bottom step and turned to look at him.

"Oh! We didn't get our usual cheeseburger meal. Looks like you will be heading out to rectify that, Mulder, because I'm going to need that pronto. And hey, we're going to need to do that a few times, so the drive will give you a chance to recharge," she said with a wink.

"Ha! I'm gonna need a little longer than a car ride for food to recover," he said, putting his clothes back on. "But you enjoy that bath. We'll eat and we'll get..creative."

He stepped over to her and gave her a sloppy smacking kiss as he put his shirt on and smacked her naked ass.

"That was fun," he said, grabbing his keys and wallet, he opened the door. "Be back in 30 minutes."

 _HeHeHe!_

"God! Fuck you! You stupid dirty witch!" he shouted as the door shut.

She laughed all the way up the stairs.


	3. Mulder Lends A Hand

_October 29th- early evening_

"I'm back with the food!," he called up the stairs as he walked in and set it on the table.

He opened the bags, took out their food, and tossed the bags out. He took the ketchup out of the fridge and set it on the table. An idea popped into his head and he quickly grabbed the candles in the drawer, putting them in the holders he found on a shelf. He put them on the table and lit them, waiting for her to come downstairs.

He heard the floors creak and knew she was heading toward the stairs. She appeared in front of him in her pajama bottoms and another one of his shirts. Her hair was up in a ponytail and her skin was flushed. He loved "just from the bath" Scully. She was so adorable.

"Oh, Mulder," she said, walking toward the table rubbing her back.

She ran her hand down his arm as they sat down. She smiled at him, leaned toward him and he met her halfway, kissing before they began to eat.

While they ate, she told him more of what the doctor had said about the scheduled c-section. She said again how she did not want that to happen. They needed to do anything they could to move this along. Not just sex, but being more active. The things she had been avoiding of late, like taking a walk. He nodded, finished his last bite, and stood up from the table.

He made a show of stretching, cracking his neck, bending low and standing quickly, running in place, then taking quick breaths through his mouth. Scully laughed at his antics and he smiled at her.

They cleaned up their mess and she suggested taking a walk outside. She slyly said they should go out the side door to avoid the porch witch. He heartily agreed.

For a half an hour, they walked hand in hand around the yard. She laughed at his corny jokes and on their second time around the property, they sat down on the porch steps.

They looked up at the stars that were beginning to appear. She put her head on his shoulder and took a deep breath.

"I really hope all this works," she said quietly.

"It will. Whatever we can do, Scully. Whatever **I** can do for you, I will. Anything, Scully. I am here for you to use in **any** way you need," he said as he put his arm around her waist, his fingers stroking lightly on her hip.

"Hmm, I like the way you think," she said, putting her hand on his inner thigh and squeezing.

He exhaled and stood up, reaching for her hands.

"Come on, Scully," he said, pulling her to her feet. "We're on a mission. We need to beat that deadline."

She laughed as he helped her up the stairs, into the house, and up the stairs again. They stepped into the bedroom and close to the bed.

"You know," she said, running her hands under his shirt and scraping her nails up his chest. "Another thing we could try is nipple stimulation."

She tweaked his nipples and he gasped. He grasped her waist and moaned. He saw her smile and he shook his head.

"I don't see how you messing with my nipples will help **you** ," he said, sliding his hands under her shirt, scratching his short nails across her back. "But hey, if it gets you going, I'm all for it."

She chuckled and tickled his sides. He jumped and she laughed again.

"I clearly meant **you** stimulating mine, but I do enjoy the noises you make when I touch yours," she purred.

"Hmmm," he hummed and stepped back from her. He lifted her shirt off and stared at her breasts. They were so full and her nipples were already hard. He licked his lips and he heard her groan.

"Okay," he said, taking a breast in his hand, bending down and sucking on a nipple. She grabbed his hair and swore.

"I want to try something," he said, raising his head and looking at her. She let go of his hair and stood there breathing hard.

"What do you want to try?" she asked him breathily, as he held both breasts in his hands and brushed his thumbs across her nipples.

"I want you to lay down in the bed and I want to make you come by touching, sucking, licking and nibbling at these fabulous tits," he said, and she whimpered as brushed across them again.

"God, Scully, they are truly outstanding. I mean, I love your breasts, please don't get me wrong, but damn, Scully. Damn," he said, lightly pinching her nipples.

"Oh, god Mulder," she breathed huskily, her head falling back.

Her voice shot straight to his groin. He bent his head toward her ear, squeezing a breast as he did. "Get in the bed," he growled.

She lifted her head and looked at him. Her eyes were dark and he knew it would not take long. He was going to take his time though. If they were trying to stop a c-section, and orgasms were one way to do that, he was now on a mission to give her as many as he could.

He glanced at the bed and told her to wait. He pulled the blankets back and then arranged the pillows so she was able to sit back as opposed to lying flat. She slipped off her shoes and started to take off her pajama bottoms but he stopped her. He pointed to the bed and he watched her breathe hard.

He loved when she was bossy and demanding, but he knew she liked when he was as well. The times she had come hardest was when he had been more demanding of her body or telling her what he wanted to do to her. If he had his way, tonight would be another one of those times.

She got in the bed and laid back. He took off his shoes and stood next to the bed. He opened her legs and climbed into the bed between them. She bent her knees as they lay on the bed, to give him more space, and he smiled at her. He leaned over her, placing his hands on either side of her body.

He could see and hear her breathing. Her eyes never left his face and he could feel heat coming off of her. She was trapped by his body and he knew that alone turned her on. His height, when he used it to his advantage and encroached into her space like this, he knew it made her hot.

This position was going to be interesting. He did not want to push on her. His hands needed to support his weight. He was going to mostly be using his mouth. He looked at her face, before his eyes travelled down to her breasts. Watching her breasts rise and fall with the breaths she was talking, stirred his groin and made him start to get hard. He smiled. This was going to be fun.

He leaned down and kissed her, softly and then with more urgency. He sucked her lip into his mouth and bit softly on it before running his tongue across it.

"Mulder.." she moaned, pushing up into him, grabbing onto the backs of his arms.

He smiled and kissed her neck, licked between her breasts, then kissed both nipples.

"Fucking hell," she whispered, squeezing his arms harder.

He took a nipple into his mouth. He sucked lightly and then harder. He opened his mouth and took in more of her breast, suckling at her and then grazing her nipple with his teeth.

"Mulder!" she cried.

He switched to the other one and she grabbed his hair. He took his mouth off of her and blew across both nipples. She bucked up into him, pulling his hair hard, unable to control herself.

"Hey, take it easy now. I'm not done yet," he said, moving her hands down to the bed and holding them down firmly, before tracing his tongue around one nipple then moving to the other one. He knew that her hands being trapped and held down would add to her arousal.

She was panting and trying to grab at the sheets, but his tight grip on her hands stopped her. She moaned his name repeatedly, thrashing her head, as he kept up his attention on her breasts.

He let go of one hand to cup and squeeze her breast as he lathed it with his tongue. She held onto his forearm tightly, whimpering and moaning.

He put his hand back down on the bed and used his other hand on the other breast. He circled his tongue around again and then flicked it back and forth. She gasped again and started moving her legs, squeezing his hips.

He raised his head and looked at her. Her eyes were closed, but she opened them when he stopped moving. She stared at him and he smiled slowly, looking at her lips while licking his own.

He kept his eyes on hers and held her breast, using his thumb to run across the nipple. Her eyes rolled back and closed as she whined.

"Scully, open your eyes," he whispered.

With great difficulty, she opened them and looked at him. He lifted her breast and licked her nipple, keeping his eyes on hers. He bit down and she cried out, closing her eyes.

He let go of her nipple and moved his mouth close to her ear while she panted. "You're going to come, Scully, and I'm going to make it happen," he whispered to her.

He gave her no chance to respond before he slid his tongue in her mouth where hers stroked along his and made him harder. He kissed her chin, down the column of her neck, before he landed at her breasts again.

He lightly scraped his teeth across an entire breast before arriving at her nipple and biting, licking, and biting again. He quickly switched and repeated it on the other breast.

She was moaning and squeezing him with her legs even more than earlier. She was panting out his name, gripping his forearms. He took a nipple into his mouth and at the same time, he moved a hand to her breast and twisted her nipple, as he bit down on the other.

"Oh, Jesus!" she yelled out, arching her back, pushing into him, and digging her nails into his arms.

He kept sucking on her nipple and twisting softly as she fell back and relaxed into the bed. She grabbed his head and put it between her breasts. He put his hand back next to her and remained still.

He smiled with his face between her breasts. She held onto him and he could feel her heart racing and her lungs expanding with air. He was buried tightly in her breasts, but made no complaints, or attempted to move. Smothered by Scully's fabulous breasts, what a way to go.

She released her hold on him and he looked up at her. Her cheeks were flushed and she was still breathing hard. He smiled as she smoothed down his hair.

"You okay?" he asked her saucily.

"God...so much more than okay," she said, stroking his face, and smiling at him, still catching her breath.

"I'm glad," he said, leaning in to kiss her. He nuzzled her neck, kissed her jaw, then came back to her lips. He grazed his fingers across her center. To no great surprise, he found her very wet. He did it again and she gasped into his mouth.

"Mulder, fuck! Pants off. I need you inside me," she panted, trying to push him away and get off the bed.

He chuckled softly and stopped her movements. He laid her back and scooted off the bed. He took off all his clothes and stood before her nude and hard. He watched her watch him as he slowly stroked himself and it made him twitch. He loved when she watched him.

"How do you want to do this?" he asked her in a low voice. She licked her lips, her eyes still on his hand.

"Scully? Deadline remember? Focus," he said and she growled in response.

"Get on the bed, on your back. I'm going to go for a ride," she said brazenly, getting off the bed.

Fuck. He felt all his remaining blood rush down and knew he was in for it. He did as she said and she took off her pajama bottoms, letting them fall to the floor. She had no panties on and he shook his head. Such sweet torture.

She got back on the bed and straddled him. He held her hips while she steadied herself with her hands on his chest. She looked down at him and he stared at her.

"You ready?" he asked her.

"Yeah," she answered.

They worked together and she lifted up and then onto him. He held her hips as they became fully connected and they both groaned. She kept her hands on his chest and begin to move. Slowly at first, but then she went faster.

"Mulder," she breathed.

He knew what she wanted and he obliged her. He held her hips and helped her move her body harder against his own. Her groans and cries aroused him and made him work harder. He wanted to please her, to make her come again.

God, he loved being inside her. Feeling her around him always felt like the first time. Like coming home after being away for far too long. She was warm and soft and so Scully.

She began to speed up and he felt his release building. He looked at her face and her eyes were closed. He could tell she was not quite there yet and he needed to change that.

Her pendulous breasts were swaying above him. He moved a hand from her hip to her inner thigh. He raised his head up and took a breast in his mouth as his thumb found her center.

Her eyes flew open and her movements halted for a fraction of a second. She began going faster as he bit her nipple and worked his thumb against her most sensitive area. She cried out as she came again and he moved his hands back to her hips, slamming her down on him a few more times, before he came hard inside her.

He cried her name as he held onto her and she kept moving slowly as they both came down. Her hands remained on his chest as they fought to resume their breathing. He put his hands around her waist and rolled them to the side. Her leg was over his, keeping them joined for the time being.

"Jesus Christ, Mulder," she whispered, her head against his chest. "That was fucking amazing. I have never been so aroused by your mouth on my breasts before. You made me so wet, Mulder. God. We're going to need to do that again."

He exhaled a laugh and kissed her forehead. "Wet? What? I hadn't noticed," he said and she laughed. "And I agree completely. I will be doing that again. It was very..titillating."

"Mulder.." she laughed and shook her head. She leaned back to look in his eyes, gesturing to her stomach. "If that didn't start something **here** , just know it definitely started **and** finished something here," squeezing her internal muscles.

"Jesus," he exhaled, pulling her closer before he pulled out and then back from her. She whined and stuck out her lip. He kept going and grabbed the blankets, pulling them back up the bed. She smiled as he covered her with the sheet but then left the heavier blanket on the end of the bed.

He slid in next to her and pulled her to him. She put her head on his shoulder and grazed his nipples with her nails. He gasped and she laughed. They lay there for awhile before she spoke.

"I seriously want to do that again, Mulder," she yawned. "I just need a quick nap."

She took a deep breath and he could tell she was already asleep. He ran his fingers through her hair and she shifted a little. He kissed her head and closed his eyes. She was right, that was amazing and he was looking forward to doing it again.

A quick nap though, he thought as he pulled her closer and took a breath, that sounded good. He listened to her breathing and let it lull him to sleep.


	4. And So It Begins

_October 30th- middle of the night_

Scully shifted and opened her eyes. It was still dark out. Either very late or very early morning. She moved again and bumped into something hard behind her. She did it again and heard a moan. Oh. She smiled and did it once more. Another moan and then a low growl.

"You need to stop that unless you plan to do something about it," Mulder breathed in her ear in a low gravelly voice.

She shivered, pushed back again, causing him to suck in air through his teeth. He gripped her hip and pulled her hard against him. She gasped as he trailed a hand over her hip and down, sliding a finger inside to feel her readiness. She exhaled as he grazed her. She was still very wet. She lifted her leg over his and he moved his hand, using it to guide himself inside her.

They both sighed as he slid in and slowly began to thrust into her. She squeezed her breasts, twisting her nipples, as he began to go faster. She put her hand over his on her hip. He grabbed it and moved it down to her center.

He held her fingers and helped her to touch herself as he continued to pump in and out of her.

"I'm afraid this is going to be fast, Scully. I want you to come, I want this to be as good for you as it is for me. You feel so good. Keep touching yourself. I want to hear you come," he whispered in her ear, before he sucked at her earlobe.

She moaned as his hand left hers and went back to her hip, holding her as he pushed in deeply, then slid out, and back in. She touched herself and pinched her nipple as he sped up, whispering in her ear. Telling her much he loved the feel of her around him, how much it turned him on knowing she was touching herself, how wonderful she felt.

That was enough. His words made her tumble over the edge. She came quietly, breathing his name. A couple more thrusts and he followed her. Breathing her name hard in her ear as he came. His shaky, ragged breathing bringing extra pleasure to her release. She smiled. Nine months pregnant and he still found her desirable.

He stayed inside her as she moved her hand to his on her hip again. He lifted her hand to his mouth and sucked her fingers. She groaned and she clenched internally. He chuckled as he gave them a final lick and took them out of his mouth. He kissed them and then let her hand go.

He nuzzled into her neck and kissed the side of her throat. "You taste so good, Scully," he whispered.

"Mulder," she breathed, closing her eyes, all of a sudden very tired. He wrapped his arm around her and they fell back to sleep.

When she opened her eyes again, it was morning and she was alone in bed. She stretched and rolled over. Her muscles pulled with the delicious ache of wonderful sex. She felt the need for a shower, but not yet. She stayed in the bed, rubbing her stomach.

"All right, little one. We've done what we can. Now, it's up to you. You know nothing of this, but it's October 30th. It would be a good day to begin your arrival. I'll keep trying, but we need to work together. Let's do this for your daddy, okay?" Scully whispered to the baby.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, rubbing her stomach, praying they had made a difference. She opened her eyes and got out of bed. She walked into the bathroom and used the toilet before getting in the shower.

She was rinsing her hair when she heard the door open and close. She opened her eyes and saw Mulder standing there. He was grinning at her, his hands reaching and then running down her sides.

"Mulder," she said warningly, raising an eyebrow.

"Scully," he said, still smiling.

"No chance, buddy," she said resolutely.

He laughed and bent his head for a kiss, his arms going around her, slippery from the water.

"I was heading up for a shower when I heard it start. I figured I would jump in and wash up real quick. Maybe steal a few kisses, taste a bit of your skin, help out with anymore "stimulation" you might be needing," he said as he moved his hands to her breasts and shook his head. "Truly magnificent."

He circled her nipples, flicked them and then bent his head to lick and suck at them. She closed her eyes at the sensation. He was incredibly good at that. Years of cracking open sunflower seeds had made him very talented with his tongue. It made him patient and attentive to many areas of her body.

She moaned as he bit down and then sucked on her breast. She stepped back and he stood and looked at her.

"Mulder, we can't do that in here. And honestly, hon, I'm a little sore. My back is hurting a little. I think we need to just see how the day goes. Cool off a little, kind of like this water is doing," she said, stroking his face and kissing him. "But I like where your head's at."

She wiggled her eyebrows at him and he laughed again. He nodded at her and he quickly washed. He shared his soapy hands with her, squeezing her breasts again as she narrowed her eyes at him. He moved to allow her to rinse and then shut the water off. He stepped out and handed her a towel before grabbing one for himself.

She dried and dressed, still feeling achy but not mentioning it. He would be concerned and question if they should have pushed so hard last night. But god, she had needed it and it had felt wonderful.

Mulder dressed and told her he would get their breakfast ready. She took her time coming down the stairs. She felt stiff and achy, especially her legs and lower back. Maybe she did push it a little, but it would be okay. She took a breath and headed downstairs.

They ate, took another walk, then watched a movie. She felt uncomfortable while they sat on the couch. Mulder offered to rub her back as he saw her shifting around.

When he was done, it felt better but not completely. She told him she was going to take a bath and see if that helped. He went up and got the bath ready for her as she walked up the stairs.

She slid into the tub and leaned back, closing her eyes. He had added lavender to the tub and she breathed in the scent.

Then she felt it. A pain that she had not felt in seventeen years. Her eyes flew open and her hand went to her stomach. Different than monthly cramps, she felt it hard and then saw her stomach tighten.

It lasted a few seconds and then stopped. She laughed silently and tears came into her eyes. She put her head back, crying and laughing as she rubbed her stomach.

"Okay, baby," she said with a smile. "Let's see what you've got for me." She leaned back and kept her hands on her stomach.

That was roughly about 20-30 seconds of a contraction. Time to see if another one happened while she was in the tub. She took deep breaths, all the thoughts of where this would lead weighing heavy on her mind. The pain intensifying, her water breaking, the pushing. She sighed.

Of course she knew it would lead here, but it did not change the fact that it was going to happen. So many emotions and fears swirled in her head, but beneath all of it was love. Love for the baby, for Mulder, and for their second chance. She laughed quietly again, the thought of the double meaning of the second chance.

She lay in the tub calmly breathing and rubbing her stomach, when she felt another one start. She smiled and then breathed through it until it passed.

"Mulder!" she called, hoping he was not outside.

"Yeah?" came his reply from downstairs.

"Could you come up here please? And bring your phone," she called out to him again.

A few seconds later, she heard him running up the stairs. He walked into the bathroom and looked at her.

"You okay? You need help getting out?" he asked as he put his phone in his pocket.

"Yeah, that would be great," she said, reaching for him.

He helped her out and grabbed a towel. She wrapped it around herself and went into the bedroom.

"Mulder, I believe my labor has started," she said as she sat on the edge of the bed. "I need you to take out your phone and time the next contraction."

She looked at him and almost burst out laughing at his ashen expression. His mouth was open and he appeared to be frozen in place.

"Mulder?" she asked, unable to keep the laughter out of her voice. "You okay there?"

That seemed to snap him out of it. He swallowed hard. His eyes were glued to her stomach, as if he expected the baby to come bursting out at any moment.

"Mulder? Your phone? We need to time them. Or are you wearing your watch?" she asked as she snapped her fingers.

"What? Watch?" he tore his eyes from her stomach and looked at his arm. "I don't have my watch. What? I need to.. what?"

She did laugh then. He was so cute.

"Mulder," she said, standing up and letting her towel drop. She put his hands on her stomach and held them there. "My contractions have started and we need to time then to know when to head to the hospital. It's been about two to three minutes since I felt one and I need you to start the timer for the next one, okay? We need to know how long in between and how long they last. Okay?"

She looked in his eyes and she smiled. He took a deep breath and nodded. She squeezed his hands over his and let go.

"Okay.. okay. Timer. I got this, Scully," he let go of her stomach and took out his phone. He got to the clock and turned on the timer, then he looked at her.

She smiled at him again. He stared in her eyes and open and closed his mouth a couple times.

"I know," she said and went to get dressed.

"Should we call the doctor?" he asked her, watching her slip on her black leggings and a gray flowy top.

"No, we're okay right now. We need to see what's going on before we call. Make sure it's actually labor. I felt a contraction when I got in and then before I got out. If I'm right, I should feel another one in about.. twenty minutes. That would be about thirty minutes apart. Too soon to head in," she said as she took her hair down from her time in the bath.

He was staring at her and seemed frozen again. His face was blank and he looked scared.

"Mulder, your panic face is showing," she said as she walked over to him. She held onto his upper arms and stroked her thumbs across them. God, he had nice arms.

"Scully.. I.. it's.." he said, so many emotions crossing his face.

"Mulder," she said softly, and he leaned his forehead down to touch hers.

She closed her eyes and knew he had closed his. They stood there, taking a moment to recenter. This was how they came back to each other and became grounded.

"Mulder," she whispered. "I know you're scared and worried. So am I. But we will be okay. The baby will be okay." She pulled back and looked at him.

"We did it, Mulder. We got the ball rolling. Thanks for all the sex, partner," she said with a wink and a smile.

He laughed and she knew she had broken through his panic. He hugged her and held her for a minute. She could feel his worry but also his excitement. When he pulled back, she saw it in his eyes.

"We did it," he whispered, stroking her face.

She smiled and touched his hand. "Okay, we should get some things done while we wait," she said, stepping back and heading to the closet.

She had a bag packed, but wanted to double check what was inside. New nursing tops, yoga pants, a cardigan, some underwear, a nursing bra, socks, and a pair of sandals. There was also a couple different outfit changes for Mulder. She had no plans for him to leave her to come home for extra clothes.

She added some toiletries, an extra toothbrush for both of them and their toothpaste, her makeup bag, though she doubted she would use it, her hairbrush and some rubber bands.

She turned and looked at Mulder, raising her eyebrows. He stared back and smiled. She handed him her bag.

"Could you take that down, grab the backpack, and bring it to the baby's room?" she asked him and he nodded.

She walked into the room and began to take things out and set them on the changing table. A couple blankets, outfits, diapers, wipes, pacifiers, hats. What else? She looked around and her gaze landed on the blanket on the rocking chair.

A few days ago a package came in the mail. Mulder had grinned like a fool as he opened it. It was brown, fuzzy and had a head, feet, and arms. The tag on the blanket said "Tiny Squatch." He had smiled and laid it on the chair saying it was waiting for it's first adventure. Well, this definitely counted as a first adventure.

She grabbed the blanket and turned around. Mulder was in the doorway. He walked over to the changing table and started to load up the bag. She handed him the blanket and he smiled as he put it inside. He closed up the backpack and then turned around. He looked at her and she smiled again.

He grabbed the backpack and reached for her hand. He locked their fingers together and headed for the stairs. They went downstairs and he set the backpack on the couch with the other bag.

She rubbed her stomach as she paced around.

"Fifteen minutes," he said as he looked at his phone. She nodded and kept pacing.

A few minutes and she stopped and groaned. She held onto the kitchen chair as it pained her. She breathed through until it stopped and she looked at him.

"Twenty minutes. About 30 seconds. Do we call her now?" he asked, as he restarted the timer, his own breathing matching hers.

"No, not yet. One more round of timing. Make sure it's on track. Oh, Mulder. This is going to hurt. Let's take a walk," she said with her hands on her back.

They walked around the yard and at almost twenty minutes another contraction hit. She gripped his hand and his shirt as it passed. She nodded at him and he called the doctor.

She told them to wait until they were ten minutes apart before they headed in as it would be a waiting game at home or at the hospital. They needed to be sure they let her know if anything changed or her water broke.

"Mulder," Scully said with a smile as they walked around again, basically doing laps around the property. "Looks like you're going to get your wish."

He exhaled but did not smile. His face was very serious and he stopped her walking.

"Scully, what if it comes on too fast and we don't make it to the hospital? I wasn't there last time and it is something I have regretted immensely. I wanted to be with you. To offer comfort and help, but I couldn't.."

"Mulder," she interrupted him. "We've talked about this- no more apologies. It was for a reason and it was the right one. This is completely different. We are good. It will progress and we will go. I'd rather be here as long as I can, okay?"

He stared at her she could feel his energy bouncing off of him. He tapped his fingers against his legs and rocked back and forth on his feet. He finally nodded and she smiled.

"Let's keep moving," she said, taking his hand again.

The sun went down and the stars came out. She sat in the porch swing while Mulder got her some water. She drank it down and felt another contraction. This one was a bit more intense and lasted longer.

"That was ten minutes," he said staring at her hard.

"Okay. Let's head in," she agreed and he helped her stand up. He called the doctor and told her they were headed to the hospital.

He grabbed the bags from the house and met her on the porch. She was standing waiting for him. He turned around and went back inside to make sure they had both of their phones and the car seat was already in the car.

He came back out and put their phones away. She stood looking in the house through the door. She shook her head as she looked at him.

"This is it, Mulder. After tonight, it won't be just you and me here anymore," she said softly.

He smiled and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her, her arms going around his neck.

"I'm ready, Scully," he said quietly, pulling back from her. "But, it will always be you and me. This house could be full of hundreds of kids, and it would still be the case. First and foremost, it's us. You and me, Scully. Always."

"Yeah," she said, with tears in her eyes.

She stepped back and looked at him. She shook her head and smiled faintly.

"This baby will be enough. And the one that will eventually find his way back to us. So hey, while we're at the hospital, maybe you should think about getting a vasectomy," she said.

He laughed and she joined him. He locked the door and picked up the bags. She looped her arm through his and they headed down the stairs.

Bags were loaded up, seatbelts put on, and Mulder started the car. He looked at her and smiled. He leaned in and kissed her before he grabbed her hand.

He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it.

"Let's get this show on the road," he said quietly. He put the car in drive and they headed down the driveway. She watched the house get smaller in the side mirror as they left. The ghosts and witches swaying in the breeze, waiting to welcome their fellow Halloween friend.


	5. Hospital Arrival

_October 30th- late evening_

Mulder and Scully walked into the hospital, informing the man behind the desk why they were there. He smiled and asked them to fill out some paperwork and then signaled to a nurse to help them.

The nurse helped Scully into a wheelchair and pushed her back to the room, making her laugh as they went down the hallway. Mulder followed along behind them with the bags, feeling nervous and awkward.

A different nurse met them at the door and helped Scully out of the chair. She told them her name was Karla and she would be their delivery nurse. She asked about her contractions and Scully informed her of what had happened to bring them to the hospital.

Karla smiled and said they were going to hook up a fetal monitor to get a sense of where her contractions were in regard to time and intensity. She helped Scully sit on the bed and then got the machine. Mulder watched zombie-like as she hooked Scully up, chatting away as if this was fun or normal.

Nothing about this night felt normal. He had been in plenty of hospital rooms with her in the past. The monitors beeping in the background had been almost comforting, if not familiar. He had learned to tune them out. But the one being set up now, he knew he would not be able to ignore it.

She had had two more contractions before they had arrived at the hospital. Driving and being without help, made him very nervous. He had clenched the steering wheel so tight, he could still feel it in his hands.

As he watched her get hooked up, his phone rang. He stood watching Scully, seemingly not hearing it.

"Mulder," she said, looking at him. "Mulder your phone is ringing."

He looked at her and she smiled. Oh. His phone. He set the bags down and opened the backpack searching for his phone. He missed the call but saw it had been Doctor Reynolds calling.

As he started calling her back, Scully tensed and started breathing hard. Karla held her hand and spoke quietly to her while it happened. He watched her as he spoke to the doctor, telling her they were in room 529 and she was having a contraction right now. She said she was almost there and to sit tight. He hung up and almost laughed. Tight. He felt as if he would never relax again.

After the contraction had passed, Karla told Scully they needed to see when the next contraction came on before they got her undressed and gowned up. Scully was breathing deeply and she had her eyes closed. She nodded and leaned back on the bed.

Karla looked at Mulder and said she would be back in a couple minutes. She smiled as she left.

Scully opened her eyes and looked at him. She reached for his hand and he walked over and took it.

"It's really happening now," she said, motioning to the monitor. He nodded and squeezed her hand.

"The doctor is almost here. She said to sit tight," he told her.

Scully laughed and squeezed his hand. "Did you tell her what your face looks like? I think it should be in the dictionary as the image of "tight." You sure you can handle this, Mulder?"

"Truthfully, I don't know. I thought I would be okay. I mean, how many hospitals have we been in over the years?" he said, sitting next to her on the bed. "I am incredibly nervous, Scully. Genuinely nervous."

She put her head on his shoulder, threaded their fingers together, and took a deep breath.

"Mulder, of all the times we have been in the hospital, the reason we are here tonight is the most natural one ever. No gunshots, no crazy viruses," she said quietly and he laughed softly as she squeezed his hand. "We're going to have a baby, Mulder. I can't think of a better reason to be here."

He let go of her hand and put his arm around her. They sat quietly for a few minutes before the door opened. They both turned to see the nurse and Doctor Reynolds coming in the room.

"Well, fancy meeting you two here," the doctor said with a smile. She walked over to the sink and washed her hands before she walked over to them.

She grasped both of their hands and then checked out the monitor readout and nodded her head.

"You said contractions every ten minutes before you arrived, right?" she asked as she looked.

"Yeah," Scully replied. "I feel another one coming now. Oh, my god."

She gripped Mulder's hand again. He watched her and waited for it to pass. When it did, she loosened her grip and looked at the doctor.

"Okay! They are definitely ten minutes apart. Let's get you checked and see how it's going," the doctor said.

Mulder moved off the bed and stood to the side as the doctor and nurse helped her get undressed and in a gown. They handed Mulder her clothes and he put them in her bag. They resituated the heart rate monitor and helped her to lie down to get ready for the exam.

"Your water hasn't broken? No bloody show?" she asked as she examined her.

"No, not yet," Scully said, her eyes closed and her head back.

"Well, you're five centimeters dilated. That's great! We just need to get that farther along and wait on the baby. I'd like to wait until you're at least six before I'm forced to break your water. Best if it happens naturally. You're progressing well since I saw you yesterday. Let's see how it goes in the next hour and then we'll see where we stand, okay?" she said as she stood up and threw her gloves out and checked the monitor again.

Scully nodded and sat the bed up a little. She said she had to pee and then she would like to walk around. The doctor smiled and the nurse helped her off the bed and into the bathroom before she left the room.

Mulder stood there, frozen once again. The doctor looked up and noticed him standing there.

"Fox? You doing all right?" she asked in a teasing tone.

"Yeah," he said very quietly.

She put down the readout and walked over to him. She touched his forearm and he looked at her.

"She's doing well. Her heart rate and the baby's are good and strong. She's halfway there with both dilation and being effaced. She's doing well. There is no cause for concern. In an hour, I will check her again and we will see where we go from there, okay?" she looked at him with concern in her eyes.

"Yeah, okay. Thank you, Doctor Reynolds," he said, nodding his head and exhaling a large breath.

"Fox, I think we've reached a point where you can call me Elise," she said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

He laughed and nodded. She stepped back and checked the readout again. Scully came out of the bathroom and headed for the bed. She sat down and asked for her sandals.

"Dana, I want to get you hooked to an IV first and then you can walk around. I'll see about the socks we have too instead of shoes. Just give me a few minutes, okay?" Elise said, touching Scully's shoulder.

She nodded and Elise left the room.

"Talk to me, Mulder," she said, putting her hands back on the bed and resting on them.

"What about?" he asked as he came around the bed to face her.

"Anything. You pick," she said.

"Okay.. um. Okay. So, I was reading an article earlier when you were in the bath about this town that celebrates Halloween in a fun way," he said, pulling the chair in the room close to her and sitting down. "Apparently, they have a large duck population and so they incorporate it into their festivities. They have contests for who has the best duck costume, duck floats in the parade, Duckinstein themed haunted houses, and pumpkin carving contests of the best duck ones."

Scully laughed and smiled at him. "I like that, it sounds like a fun place to live."

"Hmm," he said with a smile.

The door opened again and Karla came back in the room. She had the fluids the doctor ordered. Mulder moved out of her way. She had the IV in and the bag hung up in no time. She also had a pair of socks and she slipped them on Scully.

"Okay, you're set to walk around!" she said as she picked up the plastic from the items she used. "Stick to this floor, and take your time. Leave the monitor on and we can keep and eye on you. If anything happens, we'll be right there."

Scully thanked her and she left. Mulder came back close to Scully and helped her up. He took a hold of the IV pole, made sure her gown was closed, and she opened the door. He followed her out, pushing the IV pole in front of him.

She stopped just outside the door and looked at him. She pointed left and he nodded. They walked around the hospital floor once and she had to stop halfway for a contraction. The second time around, she was okay. As they started the third lap around, she cried out. She had a strong contraction as her water broke in a gush down her legs.

She held onto Mulder as nurses came rushing over. They wiped her off and helped her to step around the mess. She went back to her room and into the bathroom. Mulder helped her to strip down, taking off the monitor, her gown and her socks.

There was a shower in the bathroom and he turned it on to help rinse her off. He kept the IV pole out of the way and she kept her arm out of the shower as he washed the lower half of her body as best he could with his hands.

The bathroom door opened and Karla brought in a washcloth, a couple of towels, and a new gown. She set them on the sink and walked back out.

Mulder grabbed the washcloth and washed her again. He shut the water off and grabbed a towel. He was bent down drying her off when she gripped the handle in the shower and cried his name.

He looked up to see her holding her stomach, her face scrunched in pain. He hurried with the towel and grabbed the clean gown. Her contraction had passed by the time he started putting on her gown. She leaned into him as he tied the back and he could feel her deep breaths.

"Oh my god, Mulder. They're getting closer, and definitely harder," she said into his chest.

He closed his eyes and held her for a second before he pulled back and led them back into the room. Scully sat down. Mulder helped her get her legs in the bed. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

Mulder stroked her hair and then kissed her forehead. She hummed and he kissed her once again.

He stepped back and sat in the chair again.

"It's 10:13, Mulder," she said as she opened her eyes. "We have an hour and roughly forty five minutes until midnight. Definitely gonna be a Halloween baby."

"That doesn't matter to me now. I just want everything to go well and for you to be okay," he said. Halloween was the furthest thing from his mind.

She smiled and started to say something, but the door opened and she stopped. Elise walked in and smiled.

"You like to do things in a big way it seems. Age be damned, water breaking in the hallway. Go big or go home huh?" she said with a smile.

She went into the bathroom, picked up the monitor, and then strapped it back on to Scully's stomach.

She picked up the readout and studied it. "Heart rate still looks good, you had two contractions in about twenty minutes, lasting about thirty seconds."

"She had one in the shower," Mulder said.

"Did you?" Elise asked, letting the readout go and stepping over toward them.

Scully nodded. "It was harder than the others and lasted a little longer."

"Okay, let's see how you're doing," she said as she grabbed some gloves.

"Well.. you do like to keep us on our toes. You're at seven now, almost completely effaced," Elise said as she examined her. "Are you feeling any pain aside from the contractions?"

"Just my back," Scully said, reaching for Mulder's hand. He grabbed it and held on.

"Okay," Elise said, standing up, throwing out the gloves and washing her hands. "You're doing great, Dana. Now is the time to discuss an epidural. You say you're not in much pain, but you've done this before and you know it will get worse. An epidural will help with the pain and let you have a reprieve. I know you mentioned before you didn't want it, but I want to tell you, if you continue progressing quickly, you may lose the timeframe for it to be effective or have the chance to even get it done. I have to page the anesthesiologist and he may be busy. So I need to know as soon as possible, okay? As soon as possible."

"I don't want it," Scully said, shaking her head. "I know I don't and I won't change my mind."

"Okay," Elise said, flicking her eyes to Mulder. "I'll give you twenty minutes and I will ask again, double checking with you." She looked at Mulder again and he nodded slightly. She walked out the door and left them alone.

"Scully," he began.

"Mulder, please," she said, closing her eyes.

He watched her lying there, breathing deeply, her hand on her stomach. She wanted a natural birth, no medication. She had told him before. She did not have it with William she had said and she wanted it the same way again.

He had looked at her questioningly when she said it. She seemed uncomfortable with her answer. She had looked down and said she wanted to feel it all, as much as it would hurt. Then she looked in his eyes and said she needed to do it. Needed to. He nodded. He knew her so well, of course he understood.

Watching her now though with the pain really just beginning, he had hoped once they were at the hospital, she would change her mind. He hated seeing her hurting and he already felt as if he would not be able to handle it as it increased.

"Scully," he began again.

"Mulder, please," she repeated, letting go of his hand. He grabbed the chair and sat down close to her bed.

"Why?" he asked.

"I already told you."

"I need a better answer, Scully."

"I need to do this. To feel it."

"Why? You don't owe it to anyone to prove you can or to suffer as a form of redemption…"

"Is that why you think I want to do it?" she asked, her eyes blazing into his.

"I don't know!"

"You said you understood! That you respected my answer," she said in quiet anger.

"Yeah well, that was before," he said standing up and pacing across the room.

"Before what?"

"Before I saw the pain it's causing you and knowing there will be more! Worse than this!"

"Mulder.."

"Scully," he said quietly, as he stepped closer to her. "All that you have been through, that we've been through, don't you think we've suffered enough pain? Wouldn't you want to alleviate that if you could? You have the chance to do it and I wish you would. To ease any discomfort you might feel. I don't like to see pain on your face. Too many times I have. I don't want that for you anymore."

She stared at him, her anger dissipating. She exhaled and sat up a little, reaching for him.

He went to her and held her as best he could as he sat on the bed. She pulled back and stroked his face.

"I understand your concern, Mulder. I do. But it's not that I am wanting to suffer. It's not that at all. When I had William, there was no choice, I had to deliver him without any medication. It hurt like a son of a bitch," she said with a deep breath. "But, Mulder, it was also the most beautiful experience I've ever felt. The connection between him and I, I can't describe it. I know it sounds crazy, and as a doctor I should listen to **my** doctor, but Mulder, I want to do this. I want to feel that connection. To experience it for my last time. I have been given two chances when I thought I would never have one. I need to do this, Mulder. Do you understand now?"

He searched her face. The face he loved for so long and he saw what he needed. She was not doing this to suffer needlessly. She wanted that connection to their child. She wanted the feelings she had with William to be shared with this baby. A feeling that they would never feel, but would forever share in her mind. Siblings and family no matter anything else in this world and she was their connection. She wanted it to be another bond that tied them to each other.

He nodded and felt tears in his eyes. He put his forehead against hers and took a deep breath.

"I understand," he whispered.

"Good," she whispered back.

Then she moaned. A contraction starting again. He stayed where he was, her grip on him vice like.

When it was over and she was panting, he looked at her with raised eyebrows.

"I'm sure," she said, licking her lips.

She had to pee again and he helped her to the bathroom. When she was done, she paced around the room. Back and forth she walked, the IV pole and Mulder her only company.

Mulder heard the door open and Elise poked her head in. Mulder shook his head at her and she nodded. Scully was in the midst of another contraction and she did not see her.

Karla came in and replaced the IV bag. She brought ice and water in a pitcher and told her to drink slowly as the IV was providing a lot of hydration. Scully asked for some water and Mulder handed her a cupful. She took her time drinking it as she paced around.

At 11:30, her contractions were five minutes apart and lasting almost a minute. She had stopped walking and was in the bed on her side. Mulder stood next to the bed and rubbed her back as she cried out. He reminded her to breathe and relax between contractions.

Elise came in and read her readout again and smiled. She grabbed some gloves, helped her turn onto her back, and examined her again.

"They're coming faster and harder than an hour ago," Scully said breathlessly.

"Yup," Elise said. "You're completely dilated and effaced. It's time to start pushing, Dana."

Mulder felt his ears ringing. He could see Elise's lips moving and knew she was saying something, but all he heard was the ringing. He felt hot, his stomach churned, and for the first time in his life, he felt like he might pass out from fear alone.

This was it. It was time.


	6. The Time Has Arrived

"Time to push, Dana. You ready?" Elise said smiling and Scully felt her heart pound.

This was it. It was time.

In a flurry of activity, there were more people in the room than there had been all day. Nurses, equipment, and noises. Another contraction and she paid them no mind.

"I need to push," she said, trying to sit up.

"Wait, Dana. Not yet, breathe through this one. Fox, help her. Stay by her and talk to her."

She fell back and took deep breaths as she closed her eyes. She felt Mulder take her hand. She squeezed hard and heard him murmuring to her. She did not know what he was saying, she could only hear his voice.

When the contraction passed, she relaxed back into the bed and tried to catch her breath. Mulder pushed her hair back and she looked at him. She saw the worry on his face and she squeezed his hand again. Three times. Their code: I love you, I'm okay.

"Okay, Dana. On the next contraction, you're going to push. Fox, I want you to help hold her leg and Karla will help to hold the other. Dana? Dana, on the next contraction, okay? You're going to push for ten seconds, breathe, ten more seconds, breathe, ten more seconds. Okay?" Elise said over the other noise collecting in the room and Scully nodded.

The bed was situated into a better sitting position, the stirrups came out and her legs were placed in them. Mulder and Karla took their places by her side. Scully looked at Mulder and he nodded. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, praying for strength and the ability to get this done. She felt a contraction and she took a deep breath.

"Here we go, Dana. Push!"

She pushed with Mulder and Karla helping her hold her legs. She heard someone counting and then telling her to breathe. Then to push, the counting and to breathe. Once more she did this and then she collapsed back.

"Good, Dana. Good start. Next contraction and we're going to do it again. Rest for a minute."

She did as told and looked at Mulder again. His face was white but determined. He brushed her hair back again, bent down, and put his mouth by her ear.

"I love you," he whispered. When he stood up again, he had tears in his eyes.

Her eyes fell on the clock. 11:50. Another contraction and she pushed again.

Her focus became only on pushing with a rest in between. She thought of nothing else but pushing out this baby so she could be done with this pain. Worry and stress and pain, would all be worth it when she saw the baby trying to make its way out of her body.

Her body was tired, but Mulder and Karla did not stop holding onto her even when she felt like stopping. She concentrated on Mulder's voice telling her to push, to breathe, and then to relax.

Her contractions felt like they were right on top of each other and she was constantly pushing. Elise told her to stop for a minute and she fell back, so tired.

"Okay, you ready? Here we go! Push!"

She did. She felt it differently than it had been. She was getting closer to the end. She felt the baby so close and she pushed harder.

"Okay, I see the head. You're doing a great job, Dana. You're going to push and we're gonna get this baby out. Here we go. Push!" Elise said, as Mulder held her hand and squeezed.

She pushed harder than before and she felt it. Felt the head come out. Jesus Christ, it hurt. Elise said to stop again as she suctioned out the baby's mouth and nose.

"We got a lot of dark hair here. Okay, Dana. Push!"

She grabbed her knees and helped to hold her legs as she pushed, knowing she was so close. She could hear Mulder saying her name over and over, his grip on her leg tight. She felt it again as the shoulders slipped through and then, Elise was laying the baby on her chest.

She could not see through her tears but she could feel the tiny body now moving **on** hers instead of in it. She felt a hand on her face and knew Mulder was wiping her tears. A second later, the baby began to cry and she joined in, Mulder's breath was warm against her neck as he cried with them.

Someone was opening her gown to put the baby directly on her skin. The crying grew louder and Mulder raised his head from her neck. She tried to control her tears as she looked at him and then the little dark head on her chest.

She glanced up at Elise and then the baby. Elise had tears in her eyes.

"It's a girl."

Scully held her tighter and she cried harder. Karla laid a blanket over the baby and began to rub her. Warming her and wiping her off.

Mulder's hand appeared on top of the baby's head and then his head was on Scully's chest by the baby's. She could feel his tears on her skin and she whispered his name. The baby cried again. Scully kissed her head and murmured to her and she calmed down, almost pushing toward the sound of her voice. Scully cried harder and she kissed her again.

Scully heard Elise telling Mulder it was time to cut the cord. He stood up and looked at Scully, kissing the baby and her before he went to the doctor.

Karla was working on the baby, checking if she was doing okay, doing the assessment that was needed. Scully was staring at the baby's face and memorizing everything about her. Her dark hair, her perfect eyebrows, her chubby cheeks. She was beautiful. Absolutely perfect.

Mulder was back and he knelt by the bed again. She looked at him and he shook his head. He stroked the baby's head with two fingers so lightly, it made Scully's heart ache. Karla put a little pink cap on her head and made sure the blanket was covering her. She rubbed Scully's arm and smiled at her. She then placed a hospital band around her wrist, the baby's and then Muider's.

Scully turned her attention back to the baby. This perfect little person she had pushed from her body. The one who rolled inside her in the tub, who demanded grape juice, who seemed to settle when Mulder would speak to her belly. She looked at her and she sobbed.

She shifted her a bit so she could see her clearer. Mulder was whispering to her, telling her how much he loved her, how beautiful she was, and how he had been waiting to meet her. Scully leaned her head against his as they looked at her together. He stroked her head and kissed it before he kissed Scully's forehead.

"You did it, honey. I'm so proud of you," he whispered, his head again by her neck.

The baby started to move around, searching with her little mouth. Scully laughed and pulled her gown down farther, exposing her left breast. She moved the baby toward her nipple and she latched on almost immediately.

"Good," Karla said, watching Scully feed her. "She's figured it out on her own. You may have trouble later, but she seems like she is doing great. You're doing a great job too, Mom." Karla smiled at her and continued helping the doctor.

Mulder ran his finger across the baby's head and then down her nose as she suckled. Scully heard him sigh and she looked at him.

"I think she has my nose.. the poor thing," he said and everyone in the room laughed.

Scully stared at her and shook her head. She was perfect and amazing and.. yeah..she definitely had Mulder's nose. She looked at him and he nodded.

"You see it too," he said as he touched it again.

"I like your nose," she said as she watched him do it.

The baby scrunched up her face and he stopped.

"Aw, look at her. Telling you to stop annoying her already," Scully said, laughing at his expression.

The baby unlatched and Scully moved her a little further up her chest, closer to her neck. She rested her head against hers and closed her eyes. The baby settled easily as she felt the beat of Scully's heart underneath her. Scully covered her more and closed her eyes again.

Then her eyes flew open. She looked at Mulder, who had his hand on the baby's back and was rubbing softly.

"What time was she born?" she asked him, her eyes wide. He shook his head as he stared at her.

They both looked at the clock. It was 12:42. They turned their eyes to Elise and she smiled.

"She was born at 12:13. You got your Halloween baby, Fox."

They all chuckled and then her focus was on the baby again. She was asleep. It was hard work being born.

Scully looked at Elise again. She was watching her watch the baby. She smiled at her.

"You did a wonderful job, Dana. We need to have the baby weighed and measured. We can do that here or in the nursery, completely up to you. Karla will take care of that, while I take care of you," Elise said to her.

"I'd like everything that's possible done in here," she told Elise and Karla.

"Not a problem," Elise said.

Karla came over and took the baby carefully from her, keeping her wrapped up as she did. Scully looked at Mulder and he nodded. He walked around the doctor and stood by Karla while she took care of the baby.

"Dana," Elise said, getting her attention. "I had Karla give you some pitocin in your IV. It will help to shrink your uterus, minimize your bleeding, and help with the delivery of the placenta. It's time to push it out now. A couple pushes and it should be out, okay?"

Scully nodded and she focused her attention on pushing. It was nothing like the baby, but it was still uncomfortable.

"There we go, it's out. I'm going to check it and then you're going to need a few stitches," Elise said, getting to work.

Scully closed her eyes as she lay there, waiting to be alone with Mulder and the baby. She could hear him asking questions and she smiled. They had a healthy baby. **She** had a baby. Fifty four and she had a baby.

Now that it was done, she felt the pain as her adrenaline slowed down. Oh.. she was sore. Elise stitched her up and then finished what she was doing. She moved her legs from the stirrups and gently laid them down. Scully felt pain but was happy to finally have her away from that area.

Elise came closer to her and touched her arm. Scully opened her eyes and looked at her.

"Great job. She's beautiful," she whispered before heading over to speak to Mulder and then leaving the room.

Scully closed her eyes again. She felt like she went from sitting on the couch to sprinting through a marathon. She was so tired.

Mulder was still over by the baby and she opened her eyes to watch him as he looked at her. He was enraptured with her. Staring at her as Karla did what needed doing. She wrapped her up and she handed her to Mulder.

"A little baby burrito for you, Dad," Karla said as watched him hold her.

He looked at Scully and he had tears in his eyes. He walked over by her and sat in the chair. He kept his eyes on the baby, his eyes traveling across her face.

"She's so beautiful, Scully. So beautiful," he started to hand her to Scully and she stopped him.

"You hold her," she said, smiling at him. He smiled back and sat back in the chair.

She watched him again and Karla came over to see how she was doing and if she needed anything.

"I need some pain medication, for sure. An ice pack, or a thousand.. definitely. Some water. Orange juice? Oh, I'm starving. Any chance for some food?" Scully asked, her eyes lighting up at the thought of food.

Karla laughed and said she would see about some food, but the rest she could do. She left and promised to be back in a few minutes.

They were finally alone, just the three of them.

"So, how much did she weigh?" she asked as Mulder kept watching her.

"Seven and a half pounds, twenty inches long. She has eye ointment in her eyes to stop infections? I don't remember what she said," Mulder said, stroking the baby's cheek. "We have a baby, Scully." He looked at her and he grinned.

She smiled and laughed softly. "That we do, Mulder. That we do."

She moved a little and she moaned. He stared at her, worry on his face.

"I'm okay. Just, that was a roller coaster of a ride my body just went on. I'm very sore," she said, finding a better position.

"You were amazing, Scully. Truly amazing," he said, staring at her and smiling.

She smiled back and the door opened. Karla brought in the pain medication, ice pack, water, orange juice, Jell-O, and a few bags of pretzels and chips.

"The kitchen is not open right now, but the cafeteria is if you wanted to head down there and see if there is something better than this stuff," she said, looking at Mulder, as she handed Scully the medication.

"This is fine for now, thank you so much," Scully said, placing the ice pack under the covers, and sighing when it touched the sore areas of her body.

She took the ibuprofen, draining the small orange juice down in a few gulps. She opened a bag of pretzels and ate a couple.

"Did you want to have the baby in here tonight or do you want me to take her to the nursery?"

"I want her with us," Scully said, glancing at the baby.

"I'll go get a bassinet. Be right back," she said as she walked out.

They were quiet until Karla came back. She set the bassinet by the bed. Diapers, wipes, and blankets were inside. She told them the couch across the room pulled out a little to be a wider bed. She went out and brought back some blankets and pillows for Mulder and then she left.

Mulder got up and put the baby in the bassinet. He turned around and came over to Scully. He leaned over the bed and kissed her. He leaned his forehead against hers and whispered how much he loved her. She closed her eyes and nodded.

He stepped back and walked over to the baby again. God, she felt so tired. She asked Mulder to help with the bed. To lay it down a little and she shifted to her side. She seethed with the pain, breathing through it.

She asked Mulder for some water and he brought it to her. She drank it down and closed her eyes.

She opened them and Karla was standing next to her. Mulder was asleep. He was sitting up on the couch, fully clothed, no blankets covering him, his hand on the bassinet. The baby was still sleeping, wrapped up in her blanket.

"What time is it?" Scully whispered.

"2:30. I need to change your bedding and you need to go to the bathroom. I'm going to help you up and help you walk there," Karla whispered back.

She pulled Scully's blankets down and helped her to sit up. Scully groaned and her stomach cramped. Oh, right the after contractions. Shit, she had forgotten about those.

"Take your time," Karla said to her.

They figured it out and Scully slowly made her way to the bathroom. Karla helped her sit down and then stayed with her as she used the bathroom, helping her as needed. She slowly got up, washed up, changed her gown, and returned to the room. Karla changed her bedding, putting down fresh sheets and pads across the blankets.

Mulder stirred when Scully touched his hand. He opened his eyes and jumped up, standing with her by the bassinet.

"Are you okay? What are you doing?" he asked as he stared at her, looking her up and down.

"I'm okay," she said. "Karla is changing the bedding and I went to the bathroom." She stared at the baby and smiled.

"You're okay though? Nothing is wrong?" he asked, his face worried.

"No, I'm okay. Just tired and really fucking sore," she said quietly. "But look at her, Mulder. She was worth it."

She reached for his hand and they watched the baby sleep for a few minutes more before Karla told her to lie back down and rest.

A new bag of fluids was added as she laid back in the freshly made bed. A new ice pack as well. She exhaled and closed her eyes for a second.

Karla covered her and asked if she needed anything. Scully smiled and opened her eyes.

"No, thank you. I'm okay for now. Although, as soon as breakfast is available, I'd like to get something to eat. Eggs, pancakes, bacon, a blueberry and a bran muffin. Orange juice and decaf coffee for me and regular for Mulder," she said, feeling her mouth water.

Karla laughed softly and said she would make sure of it. She said she would be back in a couple of hours to check on her again and they would need to wake the baby if she had not woken on her own to eat. Scully nodded and Karla left the room.

It felt good to be in a clean bed, but she was still so sore. The ice was helping, but Jesus Christ, she ached so badly all across her bottom half. As if someone had taken a few hundred whacks at her vagina, like some demented version of a piñata.

She turned on her side toward the baby and Mulder. She found he was back on the couch. He was still dressed in the same clothes, but he was lying down and slightly covered at least. He was also staring right at her, as if he had been watching her for awhile.

"That couch pulls out farther. And there are a couple changes of clothes for you in the bag," she said with a yawn.

"Don't worry about me," he said, smiling at her. "I'm happy as a clam."

She smiled as his words conjured up old memories. She closed her eyes and started to drift off to sleep. Thinking of the past, the way way past, and the present. Thinking of them and what they had endured, how they persevered, and how they would carry on.

She fell asleep and dreamed of the future. A new world full of hope and kindness, with their strong and courageous daughter leading the way.


	7. Naming The Baby

_October 31st-early morning_

Mulder woke up to hushed voices and a baby crying. He sat up and saw Scully with Karla by her side. Scully was holding the baby and Karla was talking to her.

He got up and went to the other side of the bed to see what they were doing. He yawned as he watched Scully holding the baby to her breast. The baby was searching around and Scully was trying to get her to latch.

Finally, she seemed to figure it out and Scully breathed out in exasperation.

"Took her a long time this time," she said to Mulder, shaking her head.

Karla smiled at them, "It's completely normal for that to happen. You just keep trying and if there are any problems, ask for help. The lactation specialist will be in here later today. But you are doing great." She patted Scully's arm and left the room.

"You should have woken me," he said with a yawn, watching the baby at Scully's breast. He looked at Scully as she looked at the baby. She was so beautiful. Sweaty and tired, she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

"Didn't need to wake you. She needed to eat, or try to anyway. You couldn't have helped with that, unless you've got a secret you haven't shared," she said, smiling at him.

He laughed softly. He looked at the clock. 4:15. "Every two hours huh? She'll come in and check on you?"

"Yeah. Make sure I'm not bleeding too hard, I'm comfortable, helping me if I need to pee. She's great. I like her," Scully said as the baby unlatched and moved her head.

Scully cooed at her as she helped her latch back on her breast. Mulder watched her, completely fascinated by what she was doing.

He turned to get the chair and he scooted it toward the bed. He sat close, quietly watching while the baby nursed. Scully reached for his hand while he sat there, connecting them in the moment.

When the baby was done, she laid her down on the bed. She covered herself and then began to unwrap the baby and take off her cap.

"I want to see her, all of her," she said, as if she could read his mind as he wondered what she was doing.

They looked at her tiny body together. Poking out of her little shirt, were her long wrinkly legs with knobby knees, her tiny arms were covered, her toes and fingers. Scully stroked under her shirt and she smiled, no doubt feeling her heartbeat. Her fingers then trailed across her face, Mulder's joining hers as together, they touched the child they had made.

Every tiny feature was so perfect and delicate. Mulder bent and kissed her softly on her head as he stroked her hair.

Scully wrapped her back up. Not exactly the same as Karla, but she would get better. She put her cap back on, handed her to Mulder, and then leaned back.

"Hi, sweetheart," Mulder said, his voice exceptionally low and a bit shaky. "You're so beautiful. I've been waiting for you for a long time. We're going to go on so many grand adventures together."

He walked around with her, rocking her slowly as he did and humming softly. She slept, her belly full, her body warm. He looked at Scully and he smiled.

"I can't believe I'm actually holding her," he said as he looked at the baby again. "Of course, I knew it would happen, but it's just so unbelievable still. All of it. She's truly a miracle. Scully?"

She was crying and he stepped over to her. He asked her if she wanted the baby and she nodded. She held her and she cried. Tears running down her face, great sobs shaking her body. She handed her back to him and he put her in the bassinet.

He turned around and she had her face in her hands. He sat down in the chair and said nothing, simply let her cry.

"I'm sorry," she gasped out. "I.. I don't.."

"Scully, just cry, it's okay," he said softly.

She did and eventually she slowed down. She moved her hands and took sobbing breaths until she was finally quiet.

"I'm so tired, Mulder," she whispered. She turned her head and looked at him.

"Sleep, honey. I'm here. You're okay, she's okay. Just sleep," he said, helping her to get more comfortable. He stroked her hair and she was asleep in minutes.

He watched her for a bit. He knew it took a lot to break her down to the point of sobbing. His support and care in those moments was what she needed. If she needed to cry or sleep, he would be there for her.

He walked over to the baby and watched her sleep. So perfect. A little hand had worked its way to the top of the blanket and he could see her fingers. He stopped himself from touching her so as not to wake her. He was content to simply stare at her.

He stood there for a little while, before he noticed the name on her bassinet: "Baby Girl Scully." They needed to get to fixing that, to give this girl a name. After Scully slept, that would be the number one priority.

He saw that the sun was beginning to peek through the window. He pushed the bassinet closer to it and opened the blinds, so he could watch the sunrise with his little girl.

Halloween morning was dawning. He had always loved this day. The fear, the excitement, the costumes, and the candy. He would come home with a pillowcase half full of candy and it would last him for months. He loved the feeling of walking down the street with other kids in the neighborhood, having fun and scaring each other.

When he was nine, he had had the best haul of candy ever. He had never been more excited for Halloween than on that night. It was his best Halloween memory and it was the one he called up when he started to see fall decorations popping up.

He looked at the baby again. No longer would his old memory be good enough. A treasure trove of candy and a costume he had loved was nothing compared to the overwhelming happiness at the sight of their baby being laid across Scully's chest. The feeling of her soft hair, her tiny back under his hand, and hearing the words "it's a girl." The birth of his spooky Halloween baby girl would now be his best memory.

The sun came up and he made sure the blinds were closed again, so as not to disturb Scully. He looked around and straightened up the room a bit. Folded his blankets, fixed his pillows. He found their bags. He took out a change of clothes and set it aside.

He took out Scully's hairbrush and her toiletries bag. He put that stuff in the bathroom, brushing his teeth while he was in there and using the toilet. He washed his hands and then looked in the room. They were both still sleeping.

He opened the main door to their room and looked around. No one was walking by and he did not want to leave them alone. He was about to go back inside when Karla walked out of a different room. She smiled and walked over to him.

"Did you need something?" she asked.

"I was going to take a quick shower, but they are both sleeping and I don't want to leave them alone. Would you mind coming in the room? Or should I wait?" he asked her, hesitantly.

"I could come in the room for a few minutes. Check on them again. That's not a problem," she said kindly.

"Thank you so much," he said, feeling a great sense of relief. "I will be really quick."

"Let me grab some extra towels for you, and I'll be there," she said, walking away.

He went back in the room and grabbed his clothes, putting them in the bathroom. She was back quickly and he took the items from her. He went in the bathroom and undressed, took a quick shower, and dried off. He put on his fresh clothes and his shoes before he walked out.

She was watching the baby sleep and smiling. She raised her eyes to him and looked surprised. He walked close to her and put his clothes down.

"That was quick," she whispered. "That will be helpful when you go home."

He smiled and thanked her for staying. She asked if he needed anything and he said he would love some coffee. She nodded and left. He sat down on the couch and looked over at Scully. She was still sleeping. Good. He hoped she did for awhile.

He scrubbed a hand down his face and closed his eyes. What a fucking fast paced night. He felt extremely tired, but would never say so after watching what Scully had gone through. Jesus.. she was amazing and seeing her do what she did, made him love her even more.

The door opened and Karla brought him coffee in a paper cup. She had cream and sugar packets in a bowl as well and she handed that to him, sitting on the couch next to him.

"I will be going off my shift in a little while. There will be a day nurse here to check on her and the baby. Her doctor will be in as well. There will actually be a few people coming in and out. There is also a lot of paperwork you two will need to sign," Karla told him quietly.

He nodded, glancing at Scully. She still slept, moving a little, trying to get comfortable.

"She should sleep as much as possible. Her body went through a whirlwind of activity fairly quickly. She's going to be sore and tired for awhile," Karla continued.

"I know," Mulder said. "I've been reading some books, getting up to speed on what I should expect and also what may be unexpected. I've had some time on my hands recently and so I've read anything I could find."

Karla smiled as she looked at him. She seemed to be searching him. She nodded, apparently agreeing with what she found.

"I have to go, but I'll be back in just a little while with the next nurse," Karla said, getting up and heading out the door.

A couple hours later, Scully was finishing her breakfast and Mulder was holding the baby. She was starting to move around and he was smiling like a fool at her expressions.

He got a kick out of the way she scrunched up her face, her eyebrows going up and then coming down. She seemed to be trying to figure out how her facial muscles worked. Her eyebrows went up again and then she opened her eyes a few times, the light seeming to bother her.

"You don't like that, huh?" he asked her quietly, as he got up and walked where the room was a little darker.

She opened her eyes a bit easier and he smiled. "Scully, her eyes are so blue," he said, staring at her as she looked at him.

"Mulder, her eyes may change as she gets older," Scully said as she took the last bite of her pancake.

"I know, but I hope they don't. It's one of the things I love most about you. Your eyes are beautiful. I can read so much when I look in them. The windows to your soul, and all that shit," he said and she laughed.

The baby started to make noise and then to cry out. He tried to calm her, but she did not seem to want what he was offering.

"Uh, Scully?" he said, as he looked at her.

"Bring her over here," she said, already opening her gown.

He walked over to her and handed her the baby. He moved the bedside table out of the way and stood watching her move the baby around to get her on her breast. It seemed to be quicker this time and she sighed, looking up at Mulder.

He kissed her forehead and whispered again how amazing she was and how he loved her. She hummed, closing her eyes for a second. They both looked at the baby again.

They watched her eat, although it was not long until she was done and asleep again. Scully rested her on her shoulder, patting her back gently. She laid her on the bed, after a few minutes, covered herself up with Mulder's help, and then attempted to wrap the baby again. Mulder sat down in the chair next to the bed.

"Scully, I don't know if you've noticed the name of the baby in her bassinet, but I'd like to make a change on it," he said quietly as he stroked the baby's head.

"I noticed," she said as quietly as him, touching the baby's cheek.

"You said you would know when you saw her face what her name should be," he reminded her. "What has her face told you?"

She hummed a laugh, her fingers continuing to touch her face and then holding her little fingers in her own, before she wrapped her up again.

"Well, Mulder," she said smiling softly at the baby, "it didn't happen the way I thought it would. I thought I would know when I saw **her** , but it was opposite. It was when I saw you."

She looked at him and smiled. He looked at her, confused.

"The first time I got up to use the bathroom, you were asleep on the couch. You had your hand on the bassinet as you slept, as we all slept. Standing guard, in a small way, making sure she was okay," she said, finally closing up the blanket, and leaving her lying on the bed.

"I'm not following you," he said genuinely confused.

She smiled at him then looked at the baby. "It's something that gave me pause as I saw you sitting that way. It made me think of our past. The way back past. The times I'd woken up to you at my bedside, asleep after something had happened to me. The times I'd sat at yours, praying for you to wake up and be okay. I thought of you, Mulder. And me."

"Scully, it's been a long night, I'm not following you," he said, feeling frustrated.

"One thing, Mulder. One thing ties all those times together and kept us pushing forward, no matter what happened," she looked at him and she smiled. A big huge smile that seemed to radiate the whole room in light.

"The one thing we've always had Mulder, in ourselves, in each other, in the truth," she said quietly.

"Faith," she said, staring in his eyes.

He looked at the baby sleeping on the bed and his heart burst. He looked back at Scully and tears were pooling in her eyes.

"It is the one constant we have always had, Mulder. My faith for so long was in science, then you came along and that faith was tested many times over. My religious faith was also tested and questioned. Mulder," she said, touching his face. "One thing could not be shaken though, the faith I have in **us**. Faith that no matter what happened, we would find our way back to each other. That faith has led us to this moment."

Mulder had tears in his eyes and so did she, tears of happiness and love. She touched the baby's chest again and watched her sleep. Mulder watched her, her words healing a part of him he did not know was still aching.

"I want to name her Faith. The constant reminder that we always had a faith that was intangible, but now we have one we can hold in our hands. One we can keep close to our hearts. A faith that will grow and flourish with our love and guidance. The reminder of the faith that kept us looking, learning, and loving one another," she whispered to him. "I told you what I wanted when we stood in that church, my leap of faith. Well, I'd say we took a huge leap here, Mulder."

He still had tears in his eyes beside her. His memories running rapid fire in his head of hospital stays, worries over her health, the times he would call out to **anyone** to please help her, the nights he cried for her when his personal faith was shaken, the days and nights without her when the thought of any faith filled him with anger, then the faith and hopefulness he felt that day in the church.

He put his hand on hers lightly as she still had it on the baby. He laid his head on the bed and he cried, his emotions from the last day, taking over for a few minutes. He felt her hand move and instead it was on his head, his hand alone on the baby's chest. She murmured quietly to him and he put his other hand on her arm, gripping her wrist. Her fingernails scratched lightly at his scalp.

He sat up and wiped his eyes. She handed him a tissue with a small smile and tears of her own on her face. He blew his nose and stood up. He put his hand on the back of her neck and bent his lips to hers. A sweet, soft kiss. A thank you to her for loving him, for staying with him, and for believing in him. For always having faith and for giving his back to him.

He stood back and took a deep breath. He rubbed her neck and then reached for the baby. He scooped her up, sat back down, and looked at her sleeping face. At the nose that was definitely his, but with blue eyes that he knew would lead to him caving in to extra stories or cookies before dinner. He stared at this person they created and he felt love like he had never felt before.

"Hello, Faith. Your mama has indeed chosen a perfect name. You don't understand now, but one day you will. You will learn why she chose your name and what it means to us," he said softly, his lips grazing her forehead.

"You have a big brother, Faith. His name is William and your mama named him too. His name is also Jackson. He has two names because the love we felt for him was so big, he had to be shared with another family. He's not close by, little girl, but one day he will come back to us. We have faith he will. Our faith has guided us this long, we won't lose it now," he whispered to her as he heard Scully crying beside him.

"Faith, I can't think of a better name for you. You are exactly who we needed to complete our little family. Four of us, strong on all sides, nothing but love in the middle. Happy birthday, my sweet Faith Katherine Scully," he whispered before kissing her lightly on the cheek.

"Mulder," Scully said hoarsely through her tears.

"Hmm?" he said, not taking his eyes off of Faith.

"No, her last name is Mulder," she said with a sob.

His head snapped over to her. She smiled through her tears and nodded.

"Scully," he said, attempting to change her mind.

"Mulder, there are Scully's in this world, in this family even," she said, taking a deep breath. "My brothers each have two boys who will carry on the name and a girl who will decide what she wants to do with hers. There are none of **your** Mulders left, and that needs to change. There needs to be more Mulders in this world. People who are dreamers, who see beauty where others might not. Ones who see the magic in the stars and want to know more about everything. She's a Mulder. A Mulder who will change the world with her dreams and ideas."

He gave a soft laugh tinged with tears, as he held the baby close to him. His daughter, the one who would carry on his family's name.

"You don't.. don't want to give her both names?" he asked with a shaky breath.

She laughed softly. "Faith Katherine Scully-Mulder sounds like a law firm. Or a rich divorcée who doesn't want to give up the "status name." Faith Katherine Mulder. That's a name that could run for President."

"Oh, no Scully, don't put that on her," he said with a look of disgust. "President is small potatoes anyway. She seems more fitted to be queen of the universe."

She laughed again and he stood up before sitting on the edge of the bed. He began to softly sing happy birthday and Scully joined him. He turned his head and kissed her. He leaned back and looked at her, not knowing if he could love her more.

"I love you, Scully," he said leaning his forehead into hers.

"Well, you'd be a fool not to," she said quietly.

Together they sat, foreheads together, quietly laughing. Their faith in each other and in Mulder's arms. Faith to keep looking, to move forward, but mostly to be there for each other no matter what else happened.


	8. Skinner's Visit

_October 31st- late afternoon_

Scully was feeling a smidge more like an actual human. She had had a shower and changed her gown again. She still ached and felt like a freight train had crashed into her lower half, but she was cleaner than she had been a couple hours ago.

Faith had also had a bath. The day nurse, an older woman named Jill, had brought in a basin and helped them give her her first bath. Mulder had really been in charge of helping and Scully had taken some pictures with his phone. He had been so nervous and adorable. Jill had already fallen in love with him, therefore he could do no wrong in her eyes.

He put Faith's diaper on and put on a little onesie, extra careful and asking all kinds of questions. Jill had smiled and answered them all. She showed him how to swaddle the baby once she was dressed, then let him try on his own. When he got it right, he had grinned at Scully. She got another picture before Jill had helped her into the bathroom for her shower.

When she came out, Mulder was sitting on the couch with Faith. Her head resting on his chest, his hands resting on her head and her bottom, holding her securely. She could see his fingers slowly rubbing across her back, his eyes closed.

When he heard her shuffling around, he opened his eyes and smiled at her, his eyes so full of love. She got back in bed and laid down again, Jill making sure she was okay. Mulder got up and brought her the baby. He said he was going to go down to the cafeteria and get some coffee and a snack and he would be back in a few minutes. She nodded and he left the room.

She sat staring at the baby as she held her in her arms, marveling at the intricacy of her features. Her perfect eyebrows, her lips, the softness of her skin, the dark hair that seemed to have the smallest hint of red. She was perfect and so beautiful.

She moved in her sleep and her eyebrows went up, her face scrunched, and she wiggled her tiny body, before settling down again. Scully felt such happiness within her, it was like a drug coursing through her system. It had been worth it. All the pain and the worry, for this moment, and this person she was holding. She was so in love with her already.

The hospital room door opened slowly and she thought Mulder was back already. A pink balloon came through the door, then a shiny Mylar one saying "It's a girl!," and finally the person attached to the end of the strings. Skinner. Mulder must have called him.

She smiled at him and at the way he visibly relaxed, when he saw she was awake. He put the balloons in the chair by the bed and walked over to her.

He bent and kissed her cheek as he looked at the baby. He put his hand on Scully's shoulder and lightly touched the baby's head with the other. Scully watched him touch her, unable to tear her eyes away from the baby's face.

"She's perfect, Dana," Skinner said in a whisper.

Scully smiled. He stroked her small head and then stood up and back from the bed. Scully looked up at him and smiled.

"Would you like to hold her?" she asked him quietly.

She saw his moment of panic, but she nodded encouragingly at him. She started to shift around, and move the baby. She waited until he put his hands out and then she passed her over. He cradled her head and pulled her in close. She smiled at the sight of him holding her second child. Skinner, the big tough man, losing his cool exterior when a baby was placed in his arms.

He kept his eyes on the baby before glancing at her with a smile. He moved the balloons and sat down on the edge of the chair. She moved around a little, seething when pain shot through her lower half.

Skinner looked over at her and she shook her head. She raised the head of the bed up a little, to a more comfortable position. She smiled watching Skinner look at the baby. He smiled softly as he did, unaware that she was staring at him.

Tears filled her eyes at the beauty of the moment. The sweet way he held and murmured to her. He smiled at her and then looked back at Scully.

They smiled at each other and he sat back in the chair. He looked at the baby again and sighed.

"She is truly beautiful. I don't know if this will sound good or bad, considering she's a girl, but she looks a **lot** like Mulder," Skinner said as he watched her sleep.

Scully laughed and Skinner looked at her with a smile.

"Since I have always enjoyed looking at Mulder, I'll take that as good news," she said, still chuckling.

Skinner nodded and smiled. He looked down at the baby again and then shook his head, rocking her a little.

"What's her name?" he asked.

"Faith," Scully said, watching his reaction to the name. "Faith Katherine Mulder."

Skinner froze his small movements and looked at Scully. She saw that he understood the meaning behind the name, without her needing to say anything. He stared at her, his gaze falling to her necklace, then back to her face. He nodded and smiled. He looked back at the baby and she closed her eyes.

Other hospital visits flashed through her memory. Her cancer, Mulder's journey back from the dead, Mulder's mother taken ill, both of them wounded countless times in duty. Skinner had made an appearance at nearly all of them.

The memory presenting itself most, was him arriving to tell her Mulder had disappeared. The way his voice had broken had broken her heart as well.

She had had news of her own that day. He was the first and only person who knew her secret for awhile. It was fitting he was their first visitor and the first to hold the baby besides the two of them.

She heard him sniff and she opened her eyes. He was watching the baby, but she heard another sniff. He tried to keep his face hidden, but she saw a tear. Leave it to a small bundle of happiness to bring the strong men she knew in her life to tears. Barely one day old and she already held so much power.

"That's a fine name. Fitting. It's a good choice," he said, keeping his eyes on the baby. "Hello, Faith. It's nice to meet you."

Scully's eyes filled and spilled over hearing him speak to her and continue his murmurings to her. Faith woke up and stared at him. Her big blue eyes seemingly taking him in.

"Wow," he said, looking over at Scully as she wiped at her eyes. He smiled slightly. "She definitely has your eyes. Mulder is in serious trouble."

She laughed out a sob and Skinner smiled. He stood up and brought her back to Scully. He placed Faith in her arms and stood up again. He watched her situate the baby better before he cleared his throat.

Scully looked up at him and he stepped back from the bed. He started to pace around the room, not looking at her, hands in his pockets.

"When I was younger, my dad was a tough man. He was older when I was born, in his late forties. He was hard to get to know and he kept us all at a distance. I had two younger brothers and we all were brought up to be tough, to fight for what we wanted, stand up for ourselves," he said as he paced. Scully watched him unsure where this was headed.

"My father did not tolerate lying, cheating, or any type of behavior that would cast himself or his sons in a bad light. He wanted us to have strong moral character," he stopped pacing and seemed to be in thought. Scully waited, saying nothing.

"When I left for Vietnam, he told me he was proud of me for my decision, to fight for my country. After I had almost died, and I came home, it was the only time my father hugged me as an adult. Honestly, probably the only time ever, that I can remember anyway. It meant more than I ever expressed to him. I was an adult by age, had fought for my country, but I was still like a child, craving the approval of my father," he paused again and then shook his head.

"After I was married and began working at the bureau, I didn't see my father much. Phone calls, some holidays, but not much. He died in 1990 and I went home for his funeral. My mother had passed a year before from a stroke. My brothers and I spent a week getting the house ready to sell. None of us had overly fond memories of it and we all had our own lives we were living. Dealing with a house was not something we wanted. On the second to last day, when most everything else was done, we went down into the basement, where my father had spent most of his time. It was a finished room we had played in as kids. We each took a corner and started cleaning out the junk. My brother called us over to where he had been cleaning, by my father's desk. He had found a box of letters. Letters addressed to each of us that my father never sent. We sat down, each with our letters and began to read the words he wrote, but could never say. There were letters going back years, and his words were beautiful. We sat there, the three men he raised to be tough and strong, crying over words we never heard, but could read and see plain as day. I was thirty eight years old when I learned for the first time that my father loved me," he paused and looked at Scully.

She had tears running down her face. The baby had fallen back to sleep and Scully held her as she cried for the man who was almost like a father to her. To not know love the way she had from her own father, it broke her heart.

She cried for both Mulder and Skinner. Two men who had yearned for their father's approval and love. Neither had received exactly what they needed, but they had become good men. Honest, hardworking, moral, trustworthy, kind men.

"I know that you and Mulder will do better than my parents did and that is a comfort to me. She will not wonder if you love her, if she has fallen short in any regard, or what she can do to gain your trust and care. She will know it when she looks at you, feels your hand upon her back, lays her head on your chest, or when the day comes and she slams her door in anger but then seeks you out and all is forgiven," he said, his eyes never leaving hers. "She will know, Dana, because she will see how you and Mulder care for each other and your love will be her example."

Scully was openly weeping. She dropped her head and looked at the baby in her arms. The one she loved before she was born and would now die for without question. She would know she was loved and lived in a loving household. She would hear it every day and know it by the actions she would see.

Skinner walked close to the bed and waited, handing her a tissue to blow her nose and wipe her eyes. She sniffed and blew her nose once more.

Skinner placed his hand lightly on her shoulder. She took a deep breath and looked up at him. She gave him a small smile.

"Thank you for telling me about your family. And you're right, she will know she is loved. She will know how we love her and each other," Scully said, stroking the baby's cheek.

Skinner cleared his throat again and asked if he could put the baby in her small bed. She was curious as to why, but she agreed. She handed her over to him and he put her down gently. He turned back toward Scully and reached in his inside jacket pocket. He took something out and held it in his hand before he looked at her.

"When my mother died, after the funeral, my father went down into his basement. He didn't stay upstairs with the other mourners. He didn't really speak to any of us, just stayed downstairs. To some, it may have seemed he didn't care or was not grieving "properly." I knew my father. He was grieving, but in his own way. When we were packing up the house, we found a card from my mother to my father. She told him how much she loved him and that she was thankful for spending her life with him. This was inside the envelope," he handed Scully what he had in his hand.

It was a small cloth bag with a drawstring. She untied the bag, opened it, and dumped the contents into her hand. On a silver chain was a blue stone. It shone brightly in the light. Scully looked at it and then at Skinner.

"My mother's birthday was in October, that was her birthstone, and the only piece of jewelry she wore besides her wedding ring. I don't remember ever seeing her without it my entire life. My father bought it for her a year after they were married and she said on many occasions that aside from her children, it was her favorite thing in the world. After she died, my father must have kept it. A way to hold onto a piece of her," Skinner said quietly.

He smiled at Scully as she cried looking again at the necklace. It was beautiful, but she could not accept something so personal and important to Skinner. She looked at him and started to try to hand the necklace back to him.

He stopped her hand and held it in both of his own. He smiled again.

"I said that the name Faith was fitting. Not just because of what it means to you and to Mulder, but because of a story I remembered after you told me her name. A story about the necklace," Skinner said letting go of her hand.

"She lost it once, my mother. The chain broke and she didn't feel it slip from her neck. She cried when she noticed it was gone. No way to know where it was or when it had fallen off of her. A week it was gone. She said repeatedly she knew she would find it. She had faith that she would. My brothers and I were playing in the backyard, when I noticed something shining in the grass. It was her necklace. It must have fallen when she was hanging laundry on the clothesline outside. I brought it in to her and she cried as she held it in her hands, before she hugged me. She said she never lost faith and her necklace had been found," Skinner smiled at her and pointed to the necklace. "I don't have, nor plan to have children of my own. When I found out you were having another baby, I planned on giving that to **you**. But now that I know she's a girl, and I've heard her name, knowing what it means to you and Mulder, I know my mother would want Faith to have her necklace."

Scully cried as he finished speaking. She leaned toward him and raised her arms out to him. He leaned in and held her for a minute.

"Thank you, Skinner- Walter. This necklace is a beautiful gift and the story behind it was lovely. You are right, it is fitting. I will keep it safe for her until she's older," she said as she grasped his hand.

She looked at the necklace again. The blue of the stone was beautiful. She gently put it back in the bag. "Could you please put this in the backpack over there?

The baby gave a short cry as she handed him the necklace bag. "And then, would you mind handing me my girl? She needs to eat, and she tends to get crabby if she doesn't get what she wants when she asks for it. She's like her mama in that regard."

They both laughed and he did as she asked. He scooped the baby up and handed her to Scully. He kissed her cheek again and said he would see her soon, to get some rest, and take care of that girl. He touched the baby's head again and headed toward the door.

"Dana," he said, his hand on the door handle. "She truly is a miracle and you chose a good name."

She smiled at him. He opened the door and left. She kept her eyes on the door until the baby began to cry. Scully pulled her gown aside and brought the baby to her breast. She latched on and begin to nurse.

She closed her eyes and revelled in the feel of the baby nursing. Gaining what she needed to thrive.

She finished nursing her and laid her on her shoulder to gently burp her. She leaned the bed back and held the baby to her chest. She rubbed her hand up and down her tiny back.

Sleep was pulling at her as she sat with the baby. The past day catching up to her. She turned on her side, adjusting her gown. She laid the baby on the bed, cradling her in her arms. She closed her eyes and kissed her little head.

"Faith," Scully whispered. "You are a miracle, little one, and you are so loved. So very loved." She took a deep breath and fell asleep.

That was how Mulder found them fifteen minutes later. He looked at the balloons, wondering who had been there. He did not dwell on it too long, his gaze landing on the two people in the bed. The two women in his life, who meant the world to him. He kissed both of them on the head, pulled up the chair, and sat down.

He watched them sleep before he felt his own eyes growing heavy. He leaned his head back on the seat and closed his eyes. He crossed his arms and was asleep within minutes.

Jill walked in to check on them. She stopped and smiled at the sight of them all asleep. She took out her cell phone and took a picture, slowly backed out of the room, and closed the door behind her. They needed their rest. It had been a long day for everyone in the room.

She looked at the picture of them as she walked away and she smiled. This was one of her favorite parts of her job, snapping the "first picture," the real one, not a posing and smiling one. The one that showed the truth about birth- the exhaustion, happiness, and love.

She sent the photo to the printer and waited for it to print. She liked to slip in the picture with the file, so it was there with their discharge papers. She looked at it again when it had printed. She smiled as she walked to the nurses station. She found their file and added it to it, putting it back and heading off to the next patient, her phone ready to capture the love she knew she would always find.


	9. Heading Home

_November 2nd- mid morning_

"Okay, do we have everything?" Mulder asked as they began to load up to head home.

He looked again in the backpack. There was the black beanie stuffed cat from Elise. She had brought it when she checked on Scully along with a picture from Raina. A drawing of a little baby with arms coming from her head.

He saw the necklace from Skinner. Scully had told him about it and he felt a wave of thankfulness to still have him in their lives.

There were a couple of hospital blankets that he knew he was not technically supposed to take, but he wanted them for the memory. To keep and connect it to the first time he held his little squatch.

Scully was not crazy for that nickname. He told her it was her fault for packing the Sasquatch blanket. He had sat on the couch holding Faith, that blanket covering her, the first time he called her Squatchy. Scully had scoffed but the name had stuck.

He saw the beautiful cards Karla and Jill had given them. There were also the items they had packed to come to the hospital. All the outfits except for the one Faith was wearing.

It was a black onesie with green and grey alien faces on it, as well as flying saucers. It had even come with a little cap with alien eyes on it. Scully had requested it and he had thanked her with a big kiss.

He double checked the bathroom and all around the room. Scully was properly dressed for the first time in a couple days. She was going home with a lot of stuff: a plastic basin, a squeeze bottle to use in the bathroom, a big cup she had been drinking out of obsessively along with a few other things. They also had a huge stack of paperwork to take home and file.

It felt as though they had signed more paperwork than they had ever done at work. The best of all the paperwork though, was signing the birth certificate.

Scully had to fill it out as they were not married yet. She had wanted to wait and get married when she was not "as big as a pregnant blue whale."

Watching her put down the baby's name, her whole name, made him grin. Faith Katherine Mulder, his little Squatchy. He had signed his name with hers and it was official in all aspects. He kissed Scully and then the baby, his love for both of them filling his heart.

The pediatrician had been in to check on Faith and Elise had come in to check Scully once more before they were to leave. Good bill of health was given for both and now they were just waiting for the discharge papers.

The bags were ready and the car seat was on the couch. Scully was sitting on the bed holding the baby. They would not put her in the car seat until they were ready to go.

As much as he knew they were going to be on their own after they left the hospital, he was anxious to leave. Being in the same room, with people coming in and out at all hours, was wearing on his nerves. He wanted to get home, sleep in his own bed, and be able to have Scully by him as he did.

The door opened and Jill came in the room. She smiled at them with a folder in her hand.

"These are all your discharge papers. I put them in this folder for you. You will have a checkup with your doctor in six weeks unless something changes. The baby will see the pediatrician in a few days to be sure she's getting enough to eat and gaining as she should," Jill said to Scully, while handing Mulder the discharge folder. He added it to their backpack.

"I have an orderly on his way with a wheelchair and then you three are good to go," she smiled at them. "I have enjoyed meeting you both. That little girl is adorable, take good care of her."

They both thanked her and the door opened. The orderly pushed the wheelchair into the room. Mulder walked over to Scully and took Faith from her. Jil helped her off the bed and she lightly groaned. She stood still for a minute and then walked to the wheelchair.

Mulder put the baby in the car seat, only fumbling with the straps once. He covered her with a soft blanket and then he picked up the car seat and turned to Scully. The orderly had hung the backpack on the wheelchair and slung the bag over an arm. He grinned at Mulder and nodded at the baby.

"You just worry about that little one, sir," he said, handing Scully the basin of things. "I've got your wife."

Scully met his eyes and they both grinned. No reason to correct him.

He made sure the baby was covered and then stepped behind the orderly to follow them out. Jill held the door and Mulder thanked her for everything as they passed by. She squeezed his forearm and nodded.

Mulder followed them down the hall, his eyes staying mostly on the little girl in the car seat. What a difference walking out as opposed to walking in the hospital. He had felt so nervous and terrified, now he felt love and a peace he could not explain.

The orderly was making Scully laugh and he was thrilled to hear it. She was on an emotional roller coaster these past few days. Sobbing one minute, happy the next, then asleep or grouchy. He knew she would be, it was just hard to see her that way, especially when she tried to brush it off.

He told Karla he had read up on what to expect, but the truth was he had done more than just reading books. He had found a chat group of fathers online and they shared their stories of new babies and what they learned about postpartum. He had asked hundreds of questions and they had all been incredibly helpful.

They had shared tips and signs to watch out for when it came to depression or emotions. He understood where they were coming from and he appreciated all they had to say. He felt he had the upper hand when it came to this instance, though. He had spent almost twenty five years hearing "I'm fine" and knowing that was not the truth. He did not have all the answers, but he knew her and he knew how to read her. They would be okay.

They arrived at the lobby and Mulder left the baby with Scully so he could get the car. The orderly was exclaiming over how cute she was and her alien cap when Mulder walked through the door.

It was a bit chilly out and he zipped his jacket on the walk to the car. He wondered if they had put socks on Faith and then smiled at his dad thoughts already taking place.

He arrived at the car and kept grinning as he got in and turned on the car. He shook his head as he backed up and drove to the hospital entrance.

He got out of the car and walked back into the hospital. He took the baby and placed her car seat in the back, clicking it into the base. He pushed the handle down and again made sure she was covered. He looked at her face and smiled. God, he was already so in love with her.

The orderly pushed Scully out and Mulder helped her into the backseat next to Faith. The orderly offered to put their bags in the back of the car and Mulder accepted, making sure Scully was doing all right as she climbed in and put on her seatbelt. He kissed her cheek and then softly closed the door. He thanked the orderly and he got back in the car.

"All right," Mulder said, looking at the hospital and beginning to slowly drive away. "Mama Bear and Squatchy, you ready to roll?"

"Mulder, absolutely not," Scully said.

"To which?" he asked, pulling onto the main road.

"I know you have Squatchy set in your mind, so I'm going to veto "Mama Bear," she said, causing him to look back at her. She shook her head and he nodded.

"Okay, we'll work on a name," he said as she scoffed, and he headed to the interstate.

He felt as if giant potholes and rocks had been added to the road since they left the house. Every bump, he looked in the rear view mirror worried the baby had woken. He looked quickly both ways before he slowly proceeded through the intersections. He heard Scully laugh quietly and he glanced back at her.

"This Mulder is a far cry from the one who jumped onto a moving train. Or broke into government buildings," she said with a smirk.

"Well, I have more important things to think about than myself these days," he said, stopping and looking again.

"More important than your own life?" she asked skeptically.

"Way more important," he said glancing back at her again. He reached a hand through the seats and she grasped his hand.

Finally, they approached the road to their house. He sighed as he pulled up their driveway and parked the car. They were quiet for a second, her hand in his, as they looked out the window.

Then he felt it. Three squeezes. They were okay, they could handle it. He squeezed back and got out of the car. He took a deep breath as he walked around to her side and opened the door.

He helped her out and she stood waiting by the side of the car. He got the car seat out, checking to be sure the blanket was still covering her. He stepped back and shut the door.

He reached for Scully's hand and they walked toward the house. Slowly, they made their way up the stairs and onto the porch. Mulder unlocked the door and let Scully inside before following with the baby.

It was warm in the house. He set the car seat down on the floor and took off his jacket. He hung it up and reached for Scully's. She walked over and sat on the couch, sighing as she leaned back.

He walked back to the car seat and unbuckled the straps, carefully taking Faith out. He wrapped her with the blanket and held her in his arms.

"Welcome home, my sweet girl. You've not experienced the place on the outside. Let me give you a tour," he said and began to walk around the room.

He told her of the first time they walked into the house and how it felt immediately like home. How they had held each other tight and slowly danced that night, knowing they could finally stop running.

He showed her the I Want To Believe poster. He told her how important it had been to him and to her mom over the years. It was a symbol of their quest and what drove them to be who they were.

He took her by the stairs and told her how much her mother enjoyed them.

"Mulder!" Scully cried from couch.

"What?" he asked, turning toward her with a surprised look.

"Don't talk to her about how I "enjoyed the stairs." She's a baby, but she still doesn't need to hear about **that** ," she said, shaking her head.

"Scully, I was referring to the color and the structure of the stairs. Also, the sound they make as you walk on them. You told me many times you like the creak of old stairs," he said innocently. "Get your mind out of the gutter, woman."

He shook his head dramatically and turned back to his tour. "But she enjoyed them for other reasons, too," he said, in a staged whisper.

"Mulder," she said warningly.

He laughed and continued on, telling her about their first Christmas here and how her mom had bought a tiny little "Charlie Brown" tree. They had decorated it with a small amount of hodgepodge decorations she had found on a last minute shopping trip. It had been his favorite Christmas because it was the first one in the home they lived in together, just them.

Scully got off the couch and came over to them. She held his elbow and put one on his waist. He looked at her and the memory of the last time they stood this way with a new baby between demanded his attention.

The way she looked at him, he knew she was thinking of it too. The tears in her eyes confirmed his thoughts. She looked in his eyes and the love she felt for him radiated from them.

"One day, Scully," he whispered. "One day he'll be back. He'll find us again."

She nodded and her eyes spilled over. He bent his head and kissed her softly. The old memory and the new meeting in the middle creating a joint memory. Two moments bound together by the two who created them.

He pulled back and rested his forehead against hers. Slowly, and without planning, they began to softly rock back and forth. Mulder began to quietly hum the song he did on that first night in this new home as she held on a little tighter to him.

There they stood and slowly swayed. In the middle of their living room, in the middle of their lives, with their daughter in the middle of them. He smiled at the thought. If this was the middle, the ending was going to be amazing.


End file.
